Post-Flood Recovery for Snohomish

The City of Snohomish swung fully into post-flood recovery mode on Saturday. Our primary emergency repair project is restoration of soils and protection of the water transmission line that was undermined by the Pilchuck River. We mobilized a contractor with heavy equipment and rock on the sites (we have two exposed areas of water line) on Saturday and are working in very difficult conditions due to saturated riverbank to armor our pipe.

The US Army Corps of Engineers was expected to take on this project on our behalf but the Commander of the Seattle District denied the request of their field engineers for this project. The reason: USACE emergency operations are limited to work on levees and other construction that retain flood waters. Our riverbank repair/armoring does not qualify on these grounds. The repair work is problematic because heavy equipment being used to armor the bank is causing further erosion because the saturated soils cannot hold the weight of the equipment.

A boil water notice for the 93 customers on the transmission line was put into effect on Friday, 1/9, and will probably continue at least until Friday, 1/16.

Other damage assessments are being made today regarding the Riverfront Trail, Kla Ha Ya Park, Cady Park and Pilchuck Park. The Public Works Operations Division has relocated to the Public Works Yard on First Street. Lift stations and other city infrastructure are also being assessed for damage. The wastewater treatment plant is back into operation. However a dike in this area appears damaged, though it will not affect operations.

For those who need to use Highway 9, the information from WSDOT is that the highway will be fully open for northbound traffic by 3 pm today. Southbound traffic is not expected to be open until early tomorrow morning, presumably in time for the a.m. commute. Of course, many locals will know they can access Highway 9 southbound by driving down Airport Way to Springetti Road and then up to Broadway, where they can turn right to meet the highway and then drive north on 9. The problem with Highway 9 is that new road construction was undermined by the flood waters.

I do not yet know if this was caused by construction or design defect or simply that the construction project was incomplete and more vulnerable to damage.

Contributed by: Snohomish City Manager