Whatcom County Public Works Director Paula Harris delivered a comprehensive presentation reviewing 25 years of flood mitigation projects completed since the 1999 Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan (CFHMP). The presentation showcased eight major projects totaling over $30 million in flood protection investments, demonstrating the county's systematic approach to reducing flood risks across the Nooksack River watershed. Harris highlighted successful collaborations with federal agencies, tribes, and local landowners that leveraged outside funding to complete projects including setback levees, fish passage improvements, and innovative self-regulating tide gates. The presentation emphasized how projects evolved from the original 1999 plan while addressing new challenges like aging infrastructure and changing regulatory requirements for fish habitat protection. Council members raised concerns about ongoing drainage district challenges and the need to integrate flood mitigation planning with comprehensive plan updates and future growth patterns. The discussion revealed tension between agricultural drainage needs and fish habitat protection requirements that continue to impact local farming operations. #
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Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee
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Executive Summary
Key Decisions & Actions
& Actions **AB2025-496 - Flood Mitigation Projects Presentation:** PRESENTED - No formal votes taken - Informational presentation only - Staff recommendation: Information only - Council action: Received presentation #
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**Paula Harris, on project timeline challenges:**
"These larger scale projects with many people impacted, much land acquisition and a lot of property impacted take some time."
**Paula Harris, on the 2021 flood response:**
"I was somewhat fortunate that I was late in my career and could jump on that 21 flood and really focus our energy to get to the point that, you know, I feel like in the last three, four years, we've done more to get to this solution than we had in the last 20."
**Council Member Elenbaas, on agricultural drainage issues:**
"We're designing flood plains By design, but then we're not doing anything to deal with the water after it leaves the river, apparently, in certain areas, and it's destroying people's ability to, you know, we say that we're protecting agriculture, but we don't appear to be in this aspect."
**Council Member Elenbaas, on regulatory obstacles:**
"It's either, oh, we can't remove the beavers, well, they just took out 40 acres of corn or, you know, un
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- July 22, 2025: Committee of the Whole presentation compiling flood risk maps with comprehensive planning data - Ongoing Sumas overflow and Everson area flood mitigation projects in development - Continued work on five-year management plans for drainage improvement districts - Future presentations on comprehensive flood hazard management plan updates #
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