King County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the City of Auburn and other local governments are coordinating efforts in response to news that the Corps’ flood-control dam on the upper Green River will have to be drawn down to assess recently discovered damage.

Drawing down the Howard Hanson Dam while the Corps’ damage evaluation takes place means the reservoir won’t be able to hold as much water from the upper Green River watershed as the facility is engineered to take.

As a result, King County in coordination with the King County Flood Control District has taken several immediate actions to ensure communications channels are in place should any potential issues arise so that area residents and their property remain safe:

• The King County Flood Warning Center will open sooner than normal when significant rainfall is predicted, to closely monitor conditions on the Green River. Additional staff will be added to the Flood Warning Center to handle any increased work load.

• Additional two-person flood patrols will be dispatched to areas along the Green River when higher flows are expected to better assess conditions. Flood patrol crews can relay information back to the Flood Warning Center so that county officials can remain well-informed on conditions.

• King County’s Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is coordinating with the EOC’s of the cities of Auburn, Kent, Renton and Tukwila.

The King County Flood Control District is a special purpose government created to provide funding and policy oversight for flood protection projects and programs in King County. The Flood Control District’s Board is composed of the members of the King County Council. The Water and Land Resources Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks develops and implements the approved flood protection projects and programs.