Plan coming to ease Seal Slough dike erosion

Local governmental agencies and the Columbia Land Trust (CLT) hope to come up soon with a way to reduce current velocity in Seal Slough and end erosion of private dikes in the area.

An engineering consultant should have some options ready for consideration in two or three weeks, said CLT Lands Steward Ian Sinks.

He and commissioners from Wahkiakum County and the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District plan to meet July 12 to go over the proposals.

Meanwhile, the state departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife have voiced displeasure over the enhancement district's work late last year to lower what is known as the Miller Slough Dike on the CLT's Kandoll Farm habitat restoration project near Rosburg.

Enhancement district commissioners have considered the dike illegal, saying that it blocks a flood way and was constructed in violation of state law. Last year, they, CLT staff and Wahkiakum County commissioners talked of lowering the dike, and when CLT didn't get to it, said enhancement district commissioner Delvin Fredrickson, habitat commissioners took matters into their own hands and lowered the dike, spreading the earth that formed it on adjacent land.

That work, Ecology officials said Tuesday, was in itself illegal for the dirt from the dike was deposited in wetlands without a permit. Also, the work was done without a Fish and Wildlife Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA).

Ecology has sent Fredrickson a letter notifying him of the violation and asking what the enhancement district would do about it. If the dirt isn't removed from the wetlands, the agency will pursue legal action against the enhancement district commissioners.

Fredrickson said he hadn't shared the letter with his fellow commissioners, Poul Toftemark and William Karwoski, for he thought it was a private letter. However, they'll discuss it at their board's July 13 meeting and respond, Fredrickson said.

The group also spent time discussing what to do about erosion along Seal Slough.

When CLT first started the habitat restoration project, it removed two tide gates at the head of the slough and installed two 21-foot culverts to channel water from area ditches into the slough.

However, flow was stronger than expected and now dikes along the slough are eroding.

"The culverts are causing the erosion along Seal Slough, that's a given said county Commissioner Brady. "We have a dike that's going to fail; when, we don't know."

The group reviewed a variety of scenarios, including removing the culverts and reinstalling tidegates.

That could have the effect of moving the problem to another area, Sinks said.

Another option, Sinks said, would be to armor or otherwise strengthen the dikes, which are owned by private land owners.

A third option would be to change the drainage dynamics of the area and get more water going into the Grays River, which borders the Kandoll Farm on one side while Seal Slough borders the other.

"The simple solution," Fredrickson said, "is to slow Seal Slough," either by closing the culverts or impeding their flow.

Fish and Wildlife Regional Director Guy Norman commented that projects that would reduce wetlands and salmon habitat wouldn't be allowed, and that would include closing the culverts.

"From our agency's perspective, it's hard to take a step backwards, especially if there are other solutions," he said.

Sinks said the consulting engineer is planning to propose a project that block the culverts to an extent and breech dikes along the Grays River to change drainage water flow. After hearing more detail, Dave Howe from WDFW and Rick Mraz of Ecology said the project would probably be approved by their agencies.

The land trust has almost added another parcel to its holdings along Kandoll Road.

Property owner Raven Webb confirmed reports Tuesday that she is selling her farm to the land trust. Since the habitat restoration work started, she has had unprecedented flooding in her home, which she blames on the project.

"I'm finished with it," she said of her struggle with the land trust. She added that she will be moving to northern Idaho once the sale closes.