Commissioners report

The routine work of the Wahkiakum County Commissioners was overshadowed this week by a presentation by the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the depositing of dredge spoils inside the dike on Puget Island. The plan, which has been approved by the landowner on Puget Island is to remove enough of the dike to place three 30 inch pipes under the roadway. Construction is scheduled for July and could last 6-12 weeks including closing East Sunny Sands Road for up to 4 weeks in August. The representatives of the Corps came to notify the commissioners and the public that the project will be starting this spring. Although dredge spoils will not be deposited until 2026 the preparations at the site will be ongoing.

When the presentation was over Commissioner Cothren started his questioning by stating that he had been trying to contact people at the Corps for over a year regarding replenishment of the beach on Sunny Sands Road. Cothren said that he was unable to even leave a voicemail because the corps voicemail was full. Said Cothren the Corps has been ignoring us and “now when you want something” you show up. “I’ve been mad about this for a year” he said. Representatives of the Corps explained that the project inside of the dike was on the last 20 year plan and that the beach replenishment project would be on the next 20 year plan. More than 10 local residents showed up for the meeting and none appeared to be in favor of the project except the landowner whos property is being leased for 20 years for the project. Residents asked the commissioners to stop or block the project but they seemed to agree with the Corp of Engineers that they could not stop the project. Nobody seemed happy by the end of the meeting. The residents did not get any hope of stopping the project, the commissioners did not get any answers about the beach replenishment and the representatives of the Corps did not seem happy to have to respond to questions about a project that they are not part of. Commissioner Lee Tischer who said that “the biggest problem is that we don’t hear anything (from the Corps)”.