Concerns have been raised in Snohomish County after reports surfaced of unauthorized alterations to a local dike. Snohomish County's Planning and Development Services (PDS) has issued a warning to Diking District 1 (DD1), tasked with maintaining Ebey Island's dike structure, for work that seems to have been conducted without the necessary permits. According to a county statement, the county's PDS and Surface Water Management (SWM) teams are actively investigating the full scope of the work that has been done and its implications.
Initial findings, aided by physical inspections, aerial photographs, and LIDAR imagery, suggest that DD1 may have expanded both the width and height of the dike over several years. This has raised concerns among county officials, who fear potential negative impacts on neighboring wetlands, shoreline critical areas, and the increased risk of flooding for nearby areas. Despite the nature of a Diking District's responsibility to partner with others, including the county for major projects, it appears this work represents an anomaly in the normative process.
Moreover, the county's examination includes aerial imagery and recent staff observations which seem to indicate significant material movement along a 4.3-mile stretch of the dike without prior notification to county authorities. In response, the warning letter represents a first step towards dialogue and remediation between the diking district and the county. The letter explicitly details the observations made by experts and serves as a call to action for DD1 to contact the county to address the situation.
Snohomish County emphasizes its commitment to responsible floodplain management and the importance of coordination between diking districts and other regulatory bodies. As an independent entity, DD1 is part of the seven-district Coordinated Diking District Council that operates within the Snohomish River system. The county hopes to collaborate with DD1 to assess the work undertaken, clarify any violations, and chart a path toward compliance and resolution of any potential environmental or infrastructure issues.
