“This winter has been a grim reminder of the need for updating our flood hazard plan,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, chair of the Council’s Growth Management and Natural Resources Committee. “We need to review which flood control facilities need immediate work and what we can do to minimize the damage when river levels rise.”

“This plan is vital for the protection of all citizens and environmental areas of King County,” said Councilmember Jane Hague, Vice Chair of the Growth Management Committee. “This rating allows King County property owners to have the greatest possible deduction on flood insurance of any jurisdiction in the nation.”

“Climate change and continued loss of forest cover will impact our region’s water resources. A principal concern for King County is the potential for these human impacts to increase flooding,” said Councilmember Dow Constantine, member and former chair of the Growth Management and Natural Resources Committee. “Updating the County’s flood plan is an important step in our continuing efforts to anticipate and mitigate these expected challenges.”

The King County Flood Hazard Management Plan is a blueprint for county management of the 500 flood control facilities throughout incorporated and unincorporated King County that help prevent flooding and work to contain floodwaters when flooding occurs. These facilities include both flood containment levees and bank stabilization projects. The county has more than 25,000 acres within the mapped, 100-year floodplain, or more than 40-square miles. The goals of the plan are to:

• Reduce the risks from flood and channel migration hazards.
• Avoid or minimize the environmental impacts of flood hazard management.
• Reduce the long-term costs of flood hazard management.

The plan addresses flood hazards associated with King County’s six major river systems, which are the South Fork Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Cedar, Green, and White Rivers; and their significant tributaries, the Tolt, Raging, Miller, and Greenwater Rivers.

The Flood Hazard Management Plan also addresses flood hazards along other tributaries and small streams, including those with existing flood protection facilities like Tokul Creek, Kimball Creek, Coal Creek (in Upper Snoqualmie Basin), Issaquah Creek, Fifteen-Mile Creek, and Holder Creek.

“This is a huge milestone in providing state-of-the-art flood protection for King County. This plan reduces flood insurance costs for ratepayers,” said Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who serves on the Growth Management Committee. “Still, we have more work ahead. The next step is to figure out the size and duration of these expenditures - I am determined to get the best value from these investments.”

“This is an important, positive first step to better protect our community,” said Councilmember Bob Ferguson, Chair of the Operating Budget, Fiscal Management, and Mental Health Committee. “I look forward to working on the fiscal impacts on King County citizens as we move toward approving a financially prudent investment to control flooding.”

“Under this plan, we will have the highest federal rating for flood protection in the nation, which translates into a 40-percent discount on flood insurance premiums for King County residents,” said Councilmember Kathy Lambert, who represents the Snoqualmie and Sammamish valleys. “It will allow for important maintenance on levee projects that originally were built in the 1960s and have experienced significant wear and tear over the past few flood seasons. When regular maintenance is put off, we need to catch up with some repair projects. This work will help protect the residents of King County, as well as those businesses and farms that depend on effective flood control to continue operating.”

The plan approved today by the Council replaces the 1993 King County Flood Hazard Reduction Plan. The plan complements aspects of the King County Stormwater Program, which addresses more localized flooding and impacts from stormwater runoff.