Grays River Flood Control District Jan. 14 meeting recap

During the Wednesday, Jan. 14 meeting of the Grays River Flood Control District (GRFCD), recently appointed Wahkiakum County Commissioner Mark Letham administered the Oath of Office for Position #3 on the board to Donnel Dyer. As a result of no others filing for the position, Dyer was considered elected for the six-year term.

Letham provided an update from the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and announced he will be taking over the communication with the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE). It was noted that there are changes coming in the ACOE scope of authority. Director Judith Johnson mentioned the dredge permit for the Grays River, and Letham agreed to follow up. Letham also agreed to obtain a map of the new Community Forest area and present it at the next meeting.

Discussion regarding the tidegate at SR4 and Seal Slough was held during the meeting. The tidegate had not been functioning, which led resident Susan Amala to email GRFCD. Director Dyer made contact with WSDOT (Washington State Department of Transportation) and was informed that the concrete bunker housing the tidegate is broken. WSDOT is planning to address the problem near the end of February, according to Dyer. Amala also expressed concern regarding the Kandoll Rd. area and the overflow into her hayfields.

Wahkiakum Conservation District (WCD) Voluntary Stewardship Program Coordinator Brooke Bennett announced the new Common Ground workshops coming up. A March 25 workshop will focus on “mitigating flooding in Wahkiakum's tidal stream.” The issue of river gaging was mentioned during the Jan. 14 meeting, as the Grays River gage “is not reflecting flooding in the same manner it has in previous years.” Later in the meeting, Director Johnson reminded those present “we are within the window for possible tidegate/dike problems.”

Other themes discussed during the Jan. 14 meeting included the effect the Department of Ecology’s directives are having on farmers and ranchers and “the precedent being set.” The department released a water quality program in December of 2022, which was recently revised in September of 2025. The clean-water guidelines in the program address themes like cropping methods, nutrient management, pesticide management, sediment management, water management, and livestock management.

Later in the meeting, Director Stephanie Sotka, having attended a recent county commissioners meeting during which bridge sufficiency ratings were discussed, learned the Grays River Covered Bridge rating was “very low.” As an inquiry was made to County Engineer Paul Lacy regarding these sufficiency ratings, a conclusion was drawn that “although the road is part of the county road system, the covered bridge is not on the county transportation plan,” which means no federal funding is available. Letham noted he will “pursue this further.”

The board then passed Resolution 01-2026, changing the GRFCD monthly board meeting from the second Wednesday to the second Thursday of the month. The resolution was presented before the Wahkiakum County commissioners during their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and was unanimously approved. The new meeting date will take effect Thursday, Feb. 12.