The battle over BRIC funding also delayed a plan led by Pierce County, near Tacoma, to buy a flood-prone mobile home park and move residents out of the high-risk area. During recent storms, floodwaters reached some buildings in that park, according to Amanda Smith, spokeswoman for the county Department of Planning and Public Works. The county is still assessing the extent of the damage that occurred.
“The project remains a priority,” Smith said, but added that it would likely not be completed by the end of 2027 as planned due to BRIC funding issues.
The city of Orting, located about 30 miles south of Seattle, also saw its funding for BRIC to build the setback dam eliminated. The existing levee was just an inch or two away from being overwhelmed by floodwaters earlier this month, according to Orting Mayor Joshua Benner.
“If the situation had been just 2% worse, we would have seen catastrophic damage,” Benner said, adding that he expected the current dam to fail soon.
He added: “I don’t know when, but soon.”
No specific date has been set for construction of the new dam, and it still faces additional permitting, construction and design hurdles.