Do you have a question about this FCZD project, or a construction-related question? Contact public information officer Jill FitzSimmons at jillm.fitzsimmons@co.chelan.wa.us or 509-667-6545.
Or, have news and updates about the FCZD and the No. 1 Canyon project emailed to you directly.
No 1 Canyon Debris Basins
PROJECT NEWS
Posted April 4, 2023: Construction is complete. Watch drone footage of the completed project on our Youtube channel.
Project Description
Located immediately west of Wenatchee, the No. 1 Canyon basin sits along the east slopes of the Cascade Mountain foothills. The canyon’s natural drainage system has a long history of experiencing occasional heavy runoff – and even debris and mud flows. But these flows, typically caused by high intensity storms, have grown more destructive as the Wenatchee community’s urban area has grown. When these flows leave the basin’s natural channel, they flow into existing residential developments, the City of Wenatchee’s stormwater system and, at times, the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers.
A consultant for the Chelan County Flood Control Zone District has designed a series of four flood debris basins on 21 acres at the end of No. 1 Canyon Road that will capture and release flood flows downstream in an attempt to minimize future damage. When built, the project will allow sediment, woody debris, rocks and other materials to be deposited within the basins and overflow channels before the material is conveyed downstream and, potentially, causes a system failure. The project’s design is now nearly complete.
On a much smaller scale, a similar series of detention basins was built in 2015 further down No. 1 Canyon Road, at milepost 2.6. Over the last five years, it has proven to decrease the amount of sediment entering the City of Wenatchee's stormwater system, with the sediment being replaced with an increase in the volume of water.
Numerous studies of the No. 1 Canyon drainage conclude that some type of debris basin facility is needed to detain and release flood flow in a controlled manner. By building the four flood debris basins, Chelan County is trying to be proactive. At this time, the county and property owners are acting in a reactionary way; when a flooding event occurs, county crews and private homeowners clean up the aftermath. This proposed approach will be a step in minimizing future disturbances and hazards.
The project should reduce the chance of potential flooding, require less maintenance (material would be retained in one location rather than throughout the basin or on roads), and allow the already established stormwater system to work at a higher capacity because of less debris and sedimentation in the urbanized system.
Construction Schedule
When construction starts, property owners will see three months of active work.
During construction, neighbors can expect an increase in heavy truck traffic. Some 10,000 cubic yards of dirt will be removed from the site and about 500 loads of rock will be brought in to line the basins and channels.
Because the roadway will not be closed, there should be minimal impact on services, such as garbage and delivery services. We will contact emergency services as well as Waste Management and the Wenatchee branch of the U.S. Post Office to alert them to the construction project.
Funding
The construction portion of the project will cost about $1.3 million. It will be paid for with a nearly $1 million grant from FEMA and with money from the FCZD.
Questions?
Please submit any questions or comments to FCZD@co.chelan.wa.us. Or you can call our public information officer, Jill FitzSimmons, at 667-6415. You can also sign up for the FCZD e-updates so project updates are sent to you via email.
The biggest traffic impact will be the increase in truck traffic for about three months. Property owners will see heavy truck traffic as trucks not only haul out about 10,000 cubic yards of dirt but also bring in 400 loads of rock needed to build the debris basins. Minor traffic delays may occur with the increase in truck traffic. At times, flaggers may be needed to direct trafic. Construction has been moved to summer 2022.
The debris basins are manmade but natural, earthen structures that use rock and natural vegetation. To see a similar but smaller project, drive by the series of basins completed by Chelan County in 2015 that are closer to the Wenatchee city limits, at milepost 2.6. The new project will have four basins that are connected by an overflow channel and weirs. So when snowmelt or sudden rains overflow the No. 1 Canyon drainage, the water will progressively fill each of the four manmade basins, slowing down the water and depositing sediment and debris into the basins. After the water recedes in the basins, the debris will be cleaned out.
If you have questions or concerns, contact Chelan County public information officer Jill FitzSimmons at 667-6545 or jillm.fitzsimmons@co.chelan.wa.us.
Posted: 07/30/2020 02:24 PM
Last Updated: 04/04/2023 02:39 PM
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
PLEASE NOTE: FTP browsing is no longer supported on the latest browsers, please refer below to acccess our FTP content.
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By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
By clicking continue, you confirm that you have read, understood and agreed to this disclaimer.
The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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