The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

We received in the mail a map and letter introducing the proposed bonds to cover the cost of improvements for Coppei Creek flood protection. Those who did not attend the Corps of Engineers update at a council meeting earlier this year may not be aware of a few more important facts. The recommended and most cost-effective alternative takes care of the areas shown in magenta, red, yellow and green on the map, clearly the majority of the town. And, as the letter pointed out, a flood in that area would affect everyone in town in some way, through loss of water and/or power or diversion of essential city resources.

The report that was provided at the council meeting outlined in detail, the steps that need to be taken to protect the city. The total project cost would be $4.042 million, with $2.627 million coming from federal funds via the Corps and $1.415 million (35 percent) of the cost from the city.

Any individual in a flood zone who has a contract with a lender for their home could see a reduction in flood insurance premiums greater than the cost of the levy. Of course, we all need to keep thinking about the Touchet, and eventually we will also need an engineered plan to further protect us from that direction. No project on either stream can absolutely guarantee that no flood will ever overtop the protection. But residents of any town in a river valley should always be doing whatever they can to protect themselves, and in my opinion this is our best chance to receive substantial help in taking care of a major part of our exposure.

As we have heard and experienced many times, it is not if, it is when. If we don't proceed, it's pretty much a sure thing that someday we will be up to our necks and wishing we had acted when we had the chance. My home has never flooded, and I am in flood zone B. I don't have a home loan, and I am not required to have flood insurance. And the negative impact on my property from the project would be large, with construction of a floodwall in my back yard. But because this is the right thing for our town to do, I would urge passage of the proposition.

Jeff Broom Waitsburg