Corps breaching dike this week

The Wahkiakum County Commissioners handled regular business and were updated on the US Corps of Engineers plans to breach the dike in the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge at their meeting on September 10.

Because of the Wahkiakum County staff’s aging phone system, the Commissioners agreed to hire More Power Technology Group to act as project manager in the replacement of the phone system. MPTG will meet with county employees to develop a plan for a system that will meet the county’s needs, ultimately overseeing the installation which will be performed by a third party.

The commissioners approved a request from the Department of Emergency Management’s Beau Renfro to join a cooperative purchase of electronic dispatch supplemental services.

“The system will allow our dispatch to initiate a rapid call out to volunteers or staff if there is some sort of emergency,” Renfro said.

“I did get approval through my grant to pay for this,” he added.

Appointments were made to a Shoreline Advisory Committee which is being formed to provide guidance and technical expertise to Wahkiakum County staff and the consulting team in the development of the shoreline management plan documents. The new appointees are Jerry Hogan, Poul Toftemark, Lori Scott, Dale Jacobson, Jackie Lea and Ed Videan.

“I figure it’s a good, rounded group,” Planning and Building Department Manager Chuck Beyer said.

US Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Gail Saldana briefed the commissioners on plans to breach the dike on Steamboat Slough in the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge on September 16. The Corps of Engineers had plans to breach the dike in two places. The discovery of a sand lens lead to fears that they might find more. Thus Saldana requested that the road might be closed 200 feet west of the westernmost breach for safety reasons.

As for how long it might take for the river to breach, the Corps of Engineers cannot be certain.

“It can take from three days to a couple weeks, Saldana said, “We’re thinking it will take three shifts.”