Whatcom County Public Works collaborated with Lummi Nation Public Works to repair 325 feet of levee along the Lummi River near its confluence with Lummi Bay. The levee protects portions of the Lummi Reservation, including public roadways, and is a critical emergency access for the community when flooding of Haxton Way blocks primary access routes. 

The Army Corps of Engineers determined that this section of the levee was deficient. It had no  riprap (rock armoring that provides protection from erosion) except for a small section about 65 feet long in the middle with old degraded riprap. The sections without riprap were eroding, causing narrowing of the levee width. The old riprap was removed and replaced with 325 feet of new riprap, underlain by smaller rock and geotextile fabric, which is a type of permeable fabric that will reinforce, protect, and drain. The roadway on top of the levee was then resurfaced with roadway gravel.

For more information about our River and Flood program visit http://whatcomcounty.us/593/River-Flood.