Dredging could occur on the Satsop River if a proposal from the Senate moves forward.
Legislation recommended on Tuesday in the Senate Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources & Parks Committee would work to reduce the threat of flooding along the Satsop River.
In a release,Van De Wege states that House Bill 1579 calls for the development of flood plain management strategies to protect agricultural lands, restore and enhance fish runs, and protect public infrastructure from flooding.
Former Grays Harbor County Commissioner Terry Willis, whose 100-year-old family farm sits at the mouth of the Satsop River, was quoted in the release, saying the flooding is destroying farmland and threatening area homes.
HB 1579 directs the state departments of Ecology, Agriculture, Fish and Wildlife, and Natural Resources to work with the Washington Conservation Commission to propose pilot projects in Grays Harbor, Whatcom and Snohomish counties.
If passed, the agencies would be expected to provide recommendations for timetables and funding to the Legislature by December of 2020.