CHEHALIS: A WATERSHED MOMENT is a 60 minute documentary film about how climate change and a legacy of human impact is affecting Washington’s Chehalis River and the people living in the watershed. Told by the people grappling with decisions that will affect the fate of the river, its salmon and their communities, the film explores the intersection of social, cultural, economic and environmental values that are increasingly being defined by a new climate reality.
Faced with worsening floods and a prized salmon population on the brink of extinction, the decisions made in the coming years will decide the future and fate of this watershed.
On Dec. 3. 2007, the Chehalis River valley experienced a catastrophic flood like never before, marking the fourth major flood in 30 years. With the flood came the resurgence of long-standing interest in building a flood retention dam.
The dam proposal has spurred a massive scientific investigation to learn more about this little known basin and its fragile habitat. If no action is taken, the prized spring Chinook population will stay on trajectory toward extinction.
Climate change is on the doorstep of this rural American watershed, with models predicting a 20% increase in storm intensity and rising water temperatures over the next 80 years. The film asks the question: Can diverse communities and cultures find common ground to solve the crises of increasing floods, droughts and the plight of an iconic species?
ABOUT THE BASIN:
The Chehalis is Washington’s second largest river and flows directly to the ocean. The watershed is 2700 square miles, draining several ecological regions, including the Coastal Willapa hills, the Cascades, the Black Hills, the Olympics and the large estuary of Grays Harbor,
These ecoregions are home to the greatest diversity of amphibians in the state, crucial nesting grounds for migratory birds such as trumpeter swans, a wildlife corridor connecting the Cascades to the Olympics, and quite possibly the most important wild salmon stronghold in the state.
Historically, the Chehalis once supported over one million salmon. And while populations are a shadow of their former abundance, the river still has some of the largest returns of self-sustaining wild salmon and steelhead in the state. These fish are not protected under the Endangered Species Act, despite a legacy of resource extraction that has degraded 80% of the habitat.
THE DAM PROPOSAL:
In 2020, a 250’ tall flood control dam was proposed for the headwaters of the Chehalis. The dam would be activated when a major flood is forecasted. Its purpose is not to stop floods, but to reduce flood impacts.
Unfortunately, the proposal still exists today. It’s a serious threat, and technical analyses conducted since have found that the benefits of the dam are a lot less than originally understood. The FRE (Flood Retention Expandable) dam construction concept is 45% wider than the original dam proposal. It is being planned to provide an option for increasing the size of the dam again in the future. The enormous costs of installing a dam will have lackluster benefits: the project, if constructed, is estimated to lower the 100-year flood waters in the Twin Cities of Chehalis and Centralia by just 1.5 feet, and only protect 25% of buildings that are at-risk; at a cost of over $600 million. Surely there is a better way.
The footprint of the dam and temporary reservoir is important spawning and rearing habitat for wild steelhead, coho and both spring and fall Chinook.
The Chehalis is one of the last remaining undeveloped rivers in SW Washington and is critical habitat for many species, including spring Chinook salmon. To consider this type of structure when salmon populations are at less than half of their historical numbers – with Chehalis spring Chinook currently being considered to be listed as Endangered – is irresponsible. Our work to oppose the dam, alongside Chehalis River Alliance partners, is not yet over.
For more information and dam proposal updates, see our Chehalis Basin page.
