Rep. Kilmer visits West Fork Dam in Hoquiam; seeks funding for removal project

Prior to an event on Monday where Representative Derek Kilmer presented local Vietnam War era veterans with pins to commemorate their service, he was in the area meeting with officials to look at a project in Hoquiam.

On Monday, July 24, Rep. Kilmer (WA-06) met with City of Hoquiam officials to discuss the Hoquiam West Fork Dam Removal and Drinking Water Supply Project. 

KXRO was on hand as Rep. Kilmer met with City Administrator Brian Shay and project staff to see the West Fork Dam firsthand.

Rep. Kilmer tells KXRO that he has submitted a community project funding request for the projects to the House Appropriations Committee for the fiscal year 2024.

 The City of Hoquiam is seeking federal funding to contribute towards an $8 million project to revitalize its water system and restore local salmon habitats. 

Preliminary engineering and a feasibility study, amounting to $1.2 million, are already fully funded through a NOAA grant. 

The proposed project involves removing the West Fork Dam, a barrier to salmon migration in the region, while also creating a reliable drinking water source. 

The unfunded portion of the project, estimated at $8 million, includes the final design and permitting for removal of the West Fork Dam, water system conveyance and treatment upgrades, and dam removal. 

Once completed, the city will maintain the new system through customer rate revenue.

The Hoquiam water project has received endorsements from the Coastal Salmon Partnership, the Chehalis Basin Partnership, Department of Health, and the Department of Ecology.