Congresswoman visits Lewis County for update on Chehalis River flood control efforts

CHEHALIS – U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez participated Wednesday, Aug. 23 in a discussion on flood control efforts in the Chehalis River basin.

Members of the Chehalis River Basin Flood Control Zone District, local representatives of the Office of the Chehalis Basin (OCB), labor union leaders and Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer updated the congresswoman on the proposed Chehalis River flood retention facility during a meeting at the historic Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis.

“The engineering behind it is incredible,” said Commissioner Brummer, a fish biologist who for over 20 years worked for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. “It’s the best balance, placing people and fish first.”

Local labor leaders shared that construction of the facility could potentially create thousands of jobs.

OCB member J. VanderStoep told the Congresswoman, “The project is about people, families and community in an effort to solve future catastrophic flooding.”

“Thank you to the labor leaders, members of the Office of Chehalis Basin, and Lewis County for hosting me today,” Gluesenkamp-Perez said. “I appreciate the commitment – I have family in Centralia – this is not novel, it’s personal. The human cost (of flooding) is very real and can’t be underestimated.”

To learn more about Chehalis River basin flood control efforts, click here.