The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

County officials gathered November 12 to initiate a process that they hope will put sand back on Puget Island beaches.

They are setting up a Flood Control Zone District, which will allow them to raise a levy on residents whose properties have been affected by disintegrating beaches. The funds will pay for a study and with any luck, pay the US Army Corps of Engineers to place sand where it is so very needed.

“I don’t see any other way to come up with the kind of money we’re going to be charged by the Corps of Engineers,” Counsel Dan Bigelow said.

The Corps already places sand at the head of the Island but so far have been unwilling to aid any of the residents who live there along the shipping channel and are losing their beaches and their property value to erosion.

A group from the Little Cape Horn/Flandersville area were in attendance. Their beach is disappearing as well, and they came ready to start a flood control zone district of their own.

Assessor Bill Coons suggested that they wait to see what the Corps would do on Puget Island before issuing a levy on their properties.

“I understand you all want to get together and fix this problem,” Coons said. “The thing is, where is the sand going to come from? It’s going to come from the Corps. If the Corps doesn’t want to stick the sand where you want it, then what’s the point?”

“This is the first process of getting things done and getting on the right path,” Commissioner Dan Cothren said. “It doesn’t make sense to assess a tax on you until we get them to agree to do that.”

The initial goal of the Puget Island Flood Control Zone District will be to raise $50,000 for a study, which must be completed before they can move forward. There are three zones on Puget Island, but one study will cover them all, according to Public Works Director Chuck Beyer.

“The money will go into a special account for the district, and the treasurer will have the money invested until it needs to be used,” Commissioner Blair Brady explained to the group from Little Cape Horn.

Brady also warned the group that right of entry forms signed several years ago were no longer recognized by the Corps. According to Brady, there was a new form, but the county was still waiting for the Corps to send it.

“They are holding all the cards,” Cothren admitted. “It hasn’t been pleasant. Behind the scenes, there is some pretty wicked stuff that goes on.”

“The sand has to go somewhere, and we need it,” he continued. “Why this whole thing is happening, why it takes years to get this to happen is beyond everybody in this room. We need it; they don’t want it. Why is this a problem? I don’t know. We’re all mystified.”

When the group from Little Cape Horn left, county officials got back to business.

“We have discussed that we don’t want to cripple anybody,” Brady said of the levy. “If we need to spread it out over a few years, we will.”

County officials hope to have all the work completed in order to begin collecting in 2016, but Cothren assured them it would be okay if they didn’t.

“Here’s the deal, guys,” Cothren said. “We‘ve got money right now that we’re going to tap into to do our thing. We just got to get this established. It’s going to take some time. Once we start it, that’s when it’s going to start. Right now we can tap into what we have.”