By Marianne Lincoln

For many years, I have been working within the Chambers-Clover Watershed called WRIA 12. During this flooding event, life in WRIA 12 has been fairly normal. The creeks are slowing but not topping their banks or flooding neighborhoods.

Just down the hill, it is a very different story. The warm rain event has been catastrophic in the river valleys connected to the Cascade Mountains. High temperatures, heavy rainfall, and early snowpack all contributed to the flooding.

In Pierce County, I travelled into the foothills on Tuesday, just as the rain was beginning to arrive. The upper Nisqually and Puyallup were not as bad as I had seen in the past. Farther north, the Carbon, White and Green Rivers were flowing heavier. Their impact as they reached the valley increased the flood levels.

At the same time, engineers at the few dams in the area, were closely monitoring the release of water. They allowed the reservoirs to fill and then began releasing the water a few days later as the rain subsided. These choices helped prevent even more flooded areas around Auburn, Algona, Pacific, Sumner, Orting, and Puyallup.

Meanwhile, up north of Seattle, the Snohomish (WRIA7), Skagit (WRIA3), and Stillaguamish (WRIA5), were spilling over into communities and making headlines.

Emergency responders including the Counties, Fire Departments, Police, Department of Emergency Management, the Governor’s Office and Homeland Security all came through to get people warned, rescued, cleaning up, and preparing for this next week’s rain event. It isn’t over. We are all hoping for colder temperatures in the mountains to pack snow rather than flood valleys.

A great resouce to look up where these rivers are sourcing their water is the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Water Resource Inventory Map. You can zoom in on the watershed and see where the hills and valley’s pour into the various rivers.

Wishing everyone a safe week. Please do not dive through flooded roads. Remember if you have electric cars or windows, they do not work once flooding stops your vehicle. It can trap you inside. A window breaking tool can be a life saver in a flash flood. (I gave them for Christmas last year along with fire blankets.)

Take care everyone!

Here is where your flooding is coming from… WRIA MAP