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Latest presentation showing how historical data does not support the USGS, FEMA, and Corps of Engineers hydraulic data.

“Standard project flood was determined to be 440,000 cfs. … The standard project flood was derived for natural river conditions and assumes no regulation by the dams.”

FEMA announces upgrade of FLO-2D software and that the Corps of Engineers "recently discovered the historic data necessary to convert the data for the Skagit River near Concrete for water years 1924-1944 to unregulated conditions."

“The flow produced at Sedro-Woolley by the failure of both Upper and Lower Baker Dams is nearly as large as the maximum observed historic flood of 220,000 cfs on November 30, 1909.”

“The flow produced by the failure of Ross Dam is several times larger than the maximum observed historic flood at Sedro-Woolley (220,000 cfs, November 30, 1909). At Sedro-Woolley the maximum historic flood produces a maximum water surface elevation of 50 feet, while the maximum dam failure discharge of 1,740,000 cfs produces a maximum stage of 75 feet at the same location.”

Skagit FACT current assessment of flood control efforts in Skagit Valley.

This article should be must reading for all residents of Skagit and Lewis County.

"When people build commercial or residential real estate in flood plains, when they build on sink holes, when they build on fault lines, when they build on the hillsides in L.A. that are going to burn and burn, over and over again, they're ignoring geologic reality," Criss says. "They're asking for chronic problems."

"Everyone screams for more levees, which only encourage more development," he says. "These structures are not infallible, and when the levees fail — and they will, carefully though they are built — we just have more infrastructure in harm's way. It's not a very thoughtful approach.

New link to La Conner Chamber of Commerce.

This document list the flood events and the recorded flows.  I first put this together in 1991 when I authored Skagit River Valley The Disaster Waiting To Happen. Most of the information came from the 1979 Corps of Engineers GDM used for the 1979 Levee Improvement project proposal. I have updated the document each time we had another flood event. It is sort of a running record of flood events on the Skagit River.

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) spreadsheet for Skagit County as of September 2005 for premiums, coverage amounts, total claims since 1978 and payouts for flood damages (Doll).

Proposed framework for 3 judge panel to address all evidence as to what a 100-year flood would be on the Skagit River.

Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) opposes 3 judge panel and states, "We are confident that FEMA has used the best available science to this point in the process."

"After evaluating the proposed scope, effect, panel selection (procedures), and anticipated outcome, FEMA finds several significant issues that preclude agreement to the MOA. In summary, we believe the submitted MOA violates public due process, presumes that FEMA will not provide an unbiased adjudication, and sets an unnecessary precedence for deviating from established federal regulations . . .  We are also concerned that the list of parties signing this MOA is not inclusive, yet the expected outcome of the MOA would be applied to the entire geographic area."

"Mitigation work in the Centralia area after the 1996 floods saved a estimated $1.9 million in residential home damage in the December 2007 floods, a new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) report concluded."

Skagit County Commissioners direct Public Works "to prepare and defend a scientifically accurate hydrology of the Skagit River system before an independent three-member panel" as well as "an interlocal agreement with the City of Mount Vernon and the City of Burlington" for sharing work and costs of such.

A councilmember who disclosed having a father-in-law as a Puget Sound Energy employee says "all requirements had been met" for PSE to make modifications to Lower Baker Dam and its accompanying powerhouse - in spite of inadequate flood control.

Town of Hamilton and other upriver areas well below Skagit County, Washington State and national per capita income levels.

Among other statistics, no family in Hamilton with income higher than $100,000 and over 50% of citizens on some sort of public assistance.

Fact sheet explaining the legal requirements and many economic benefits of relocating Hamilton out of the floodplain, "FEMA reports that losses to date for the 100 flood affected properties in Hamilton alone cost public programs and the NFIP close to $20 million."

Statistical summary of 47 surveys "to provide political decision makers with a snapshot of Hamilton floodway resident’s flood experience, socio-economic situation, and impression regarding town relocation."

Cultural Resource Consultants, Inc. takes a look at the history of downtown Mount Vernon in preparation for the city's flood protection project.  Excellent research on the history of Skagit County.

Dike District 17 Commissioner essay begins with, "We can no longer look at flood control as a protection device. Levies do not protect communities. They REDUCE RISK. Thus we are not capable of protecting our public from the forces of the mighty Skagit River."

A/C shares an August 2007 e-mail originally sent to the Burlington Public Works director concerning various issues of flood control projects and their funding.

Discussion of history of the Courier-Times, the hyphen in Sedro-Woolley and the City Hall in Sedro-Woolley.

Problems with assuming "the 100-year flood line as a safe benchmark."

New links to Skagit River System Cooperative, a tribal "fisheries management" organization for the Skagit River Basin and BC Explorers, which archived all the Concrete Herald front pages.