Snohomish County, Wash., February 28, 2023 – Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers announced $2 million in awards from the Flood Risk Reduction grant. Using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, Snohomish County is awarding the City of Stanwood and the City of Marysville grants for projects to address harms posed by potential flooding, with a focus on preserving housing, small businesses, and meeting the needs of disproportionately impacted populations.
“The risk of significant flooding is a reality for many Snohomish County residents and businesses. Aging infrastructure means that many communities are one storm away from losing everything in a flood. That’s why we’re using some of our federal recovery dollars to make smart investments in flood risk reduction infrastructure. With these dollars, we are preserving housing, making small businesses more resilient, and saving lives,” said Executive Somers.
“These flood reduction projects are critical investments to protect life and property in Stanwood and Marysville. I appreciate the collaboration between the cities and Snohomish County to identify ways to make our communities more resilient. As our population in Snohomish County continues to grow, we must continue to invest in projects to minimize the impacts of flooding on our residents,” said Vice Chair Nate Nehring (District 1).
Snohomish County is awarding $1.75 million to the City of Stanwood for its Diking District 7 Fish Passage and Levee Improvements Project. The capital construction will repair an existing levee that is more than 100 years old and protects thousands of residents, roughly 2,200 acres of agricultural land, and Highway 532. In addition to preserving and repairing this critical piece of infrastructure, the project will restore approximately nine acres of tidal wetlands for fish and wildlife habitat.
“The City of Stanwood is grateful for this grant from Snohomish County for a one-time infrastructure fix of an aging dike west and north of Stanwood. This bountiful gift will help leverage other needed funds from other jurisdictions toward the $7 million ultimately needed for the repair. Rebuilding the 110 year-old dike will help prevent catastrophic damage to fertile farmland as well as the displacement of many residents and also prevent millions of dollars in the potential destruction of property,” said Stanwood Mayor Sid Roberts.
Additionally, Snohomish County is awarding $250,000 to the City of Marysville for its Public Works & Wastewater Treatment Plant Flood Risk Reduction Project. This is a planning project that will allow the City to determine future impacts of sea level rise on the existing levee system and City infrastructure, including the City’s only Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“Over the last decade, significant King Tide cycles have begun to threaten our Public Works facilities,” said Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring. “This grant will allow the City of Marysville to make scientifically informed decisions about the impacts of future sea level rise on this critical infrastructure and best plan for improvements to protect our public health, our natural environment and the Marysville community.”
Executive Somers established the Office of Recovery and Resilience to guide the County’s recovery work by ensuring federal pandemic relief is administered quickly, effectively, and equitably. Information on the County’s recovery work can be found at www.snohomishcountywa.gov/recovery.
SOURCE: Communications Director, Office of Recovery & Resilience press release
