County, Corps at odds over crossings

Wahkiakum County commissioners are appealing to US Army Corps of Engineers officials to reverse a policy that will change development in diked areas.

Last fall, Corps officials notified Diking District No. 1 of Puget Island that the Corps will no longer allow buried utility crossings in the Island dikes. The Corps has taken the position that the crossings are potential routes for high water to pierce the dikes and lead to flooding.

The mains for the Puget Island Water System run inside the dikes, and to get water to structures outside the dikes, contractors traditionally have pushed or drilled a pipe through the dike.

Officials from the county, diking district and Wahkiakum PUD, which operates the water system, met recently to discuss the issue. The Corps officials wouldn't back off the policy change, said county Public Works Director Pete Ringen.

On Tuesday, Ringen asked for and received commission approval for a letter to a Corps official asking for a variance approach for crossings.

About 90 percent of the developable lots outside the dikes already have structures on them and water connections running through the dike, Ringen wrote. The new policy will do little to protect the dike and have an adverse impact on the remaining 10 percent of the lots, he said.

He added that it is the position of local officials that "it is likely there are engineering solutions available which would minimize any risk to the flood control structure associated with provision of utilities to the remaining 10 percent of properties."

Commissioners said they have also notified US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representative Brian Baird of the situation and were seeking participatoin of their staffs in the meetings.