The Howard A. Hanson Dam has been on Seattle’s Washington’s Green River since 1961. Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discovered seepage on the right side of the dam and severe storms and record water levels greatly reduced the amount of water that can be safely stored behind it. If the dam were to break and cause a flood, the hundreds of people who live or own businesses in the Green River community would be in grave danger, thousands more would lose their water supply, and the economic damage to the region would be catastrophic.  Government on all levels has worked collaboratively to provide temporary fixes to address the immediate threat while working on finding a permanent solution. I’ve made this a priority for my office, and my staff participates in weekly phone calls to monitor the situation. Recently, a grout curtain—designed to help protect against seepage—was added to reinforce the dam, but more still needs to be done.

Along with my Washington State colleagues in Congress, I have worked diligently to secure the resources needed by the Corps to stave off flooding this year, and we continue to press forward to develop a permanent fix to the Howard Hanson Dam. The entire Washington State delegation has sent letters to Lt. General Robert Van Antwerp urging the Army Corps of Engineers to move into the final phase of dam reconstruction. The Army Corps of Engineers has set a deadline of June 2010 to design a permanent solution to the seepage.

It is vital that we find a safe and effective solution to reconstruct the Howard Hanson dam and prevent future seepages.  The delegation has been in touch with officials in Washington, DC and in Washington State urging them to take action to find a permanent solution.