WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Local leaders are continuing to work on a plan to address two devastating floods over the past four years.

The Whatcom County Council received a flood recovery update from Public Works Director Elizabeth Kosa at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10.

Kosa recapped the highlights of a meeting between more than 65 local, state and federal officials who are developing a plan to reduce flood risk at the Nooksack River moving forward.

She said the group acknowledged that the current plan lacks enough preventative measures for several cities that were hit hard in December’s historic flooding.

“Our technical modeling confirms that historic levees and sediment accumulation have narrowed the channel, lowering the threshold for water to overtop at the Everson overflow and flood Everson, Nooksack, Sumas and even into Canada,” Kosa told the council.

Kosa says the group is still figuring out what to prioritize for its early action project, though they believe measures should be taken to create side channels near the Everson Bridge to increase flow capacity.

She adds that the county has asked the state legislature for $15 million to fund its early action project, though the need is currently estimated at $182 million.

The council will get a full flood update on next steps and specifics for the action project at its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

The project plan has not yet been made publicly available.

December’s flooding is estimated to have placed 600 Whatcom County families in need of assistance, many of which who were still recovering from 2021 floods.