The King County Flood Control District on Monday approved and sent to the full board of supervisors a 2018 district budget that maintains flood protection services while taking the necessary steps to prepare the region for potential disasters that might occur due to a dam or levee failure.

“The priorities outlined in this budget will work to make this region safer and better prepared for flood events,” said FCD Chair Reagan Dunn.

“Our budget provides funding for critical levy improvements projects in the Kent Valley and other areas along the lower Green River,” said FCD Vice Chair Dave Upthegrove. “I’m excited about the continued investments we’re making to protect both residential and commercial property in flood prone areas.”

The $65 million budget will continue to help prevent, and when necessary mitigate, the impact of floodwaters in King County. But in response to disasters like to the 2014 Oso landslide and this year’s evacuation near California’s Oroville Dam, the district is also taking steps in the 2018 budget to develop plans to respond to similar catastrophic events.

This year’s budget:

• Reaffirms the district’s commitment to working with jurisdictions to complete flood prevention projects in several cities;

• Continues the capital investment strategy (CIS) funding for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie, allowing the district to have a complete look at the needs of all its major river basins;

• Makes repairs to issues discovered by inspections by the flood control district – This year’s King County inspections identified 15 sites as potential problems warranting additional review. This additional review identified eight sites that require repair in 2018 (two of these eight also require emergency repairs in 2017 that will continue into 2018). These repairs are in the Green, Snoqualmie, South Fork Snoqualmie, Raging and Tolt rivers;

• Funds Implementation of dam report recommendations – The Dam Safety Emergency Planning Gap Analysis Report (Dam Report), commissioned by the district and King County to identify gaps in the emergency action plans (EAPs) of the dams in King County, made recommendations to revise and update the EAPs;

• Supports the levee breach study to identify gaps in evacuation and shelter in place plans – Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria have underscored the need to prepare for the extremely low but real risk of a levee breach in King County. The FCD will fund a study to identify gaps in existing information in areas with containment levees.

The 2018 budget, approved by the executive committee with a do pass recommendation, was sent to the full flood district board of supervisors for discussion and final action at the board’s Nov. 13 meeting.