Crews begin removing Green River sandbags
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KENT, Wash. -- With the threat of a dam break and a disastrous flood now long-gone, crews have begun removing the thousands of sandbags lining the Green River.
Sandbags stacked 3 feet high line a 26-mile stretch of the river from Auburn to Tukwila. The bags were first put in place three years ago after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned the Howard Hanson Dam had a one in three chance of breaking.
It cost $31 million to put in the system of sandbags.
"We had to make this investment because the federal government was telling us that we were under an imminent threat of being flooded, so we could not take a chance," said King County Council member Julia Paterson.
But the dam held, and repairs were made.
"But had there been a catastrophic flood, it would have absolutely been negligent of local governments not to take this kind of preventative action," said King County Council member Reagan Dunn.
But now comes the $5.8 million cleanup -- a move eagerly anticipated by many who saw the wall as a blight on the landscape, crowding out miles of trails.
"I'll be delighted to see them removed," said Larry Lehnerz of Kent. "These are wonderful walking trails."
None of the material that filled the sandbags can be reused.
"Despite the name, they're not filled with sand," said Kent City Council president Dennis Higgins.
It's not sand, but rather low-grade fill dirt that are used to make those bags. The material is "not good for streets, gardens, yards," according to Higgins.
Lehnerz said he is eager to have his walking trail back.
"The river is beautiful here and this really impacts the aesthetics of the whole area, actually," he said.
The flood control district overseeing the project said citizens should not try to haul away the fill dirt themselves. Officials said the bags are heavy and any spills into the river could cause environmental damage.
Work in Kent will be completed by the end of the month. The rest of the bags will be removed by the end of the year.
Sandbags stacked 3 feet high line a 26-mile stretch of the river from Auburn to Tukwila. The bags were first put in place three years ago after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers warned the Howard Hanson Dam had a one in three chance of breaking.
It cost $31 million to put in the system of sandbags.
"We had to make this investment because the federal government was telling us that we were under an imminent threat of being flooded, so we could not take a chance," said King County Council member Julia Paterson.
But the dam held, and repairs were made.
"But had there been a catastrophic flood, it would have absolutely been negligent of local governments not to take this kind of preventative action," said King County Council member Reagan Dunn.
But now comes the $5.8 million cleanup -- a move eagerly anticipated by many who saw the wall as a blight on the landscape, crowding out miles of trails.
"I'll be delighted to see them removed," said Larry Lehnerz of Kent. "These are wonderful walking trails."
None of the material that filled the sandbags can be reused.
"Despite the name, they're not filled with sand," said Kent City Council president Dennis Higgins.
It's not sand, but rather low-grade fill dirt that are used to make those bags. The material is "not good for streets, gardens, yards," according to Higgins.
Lehnerz said he is eager to have his walking trail back.
"The river is beautiful here and this really impacts the aesthetics of the whole area, actually," he said.
The flood control district overseeing the project said citizens should not try to haul away the fill dirt themselves. Officials said the bags are heavy and any spills into the river could cause environmental damage.
Work in Kent will be completed by the end of the month. The rest of the bags will be removed by the end of the year.
