Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray announced that they secured $1.137 million to fund the Army Corps of Engineers study on Skagit River flooding. This funding will help complete the Skagit River General Investigation Study (GI) to determine which flood control projects will best protect citizens and infrastructure from a 100 year flood of the Skagit River. Larsen secured this funding through the FY 2011 House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee bill and Murray secured it through the Senate’s version of the funding bill.  The full Appropriations Committee in both chambers must now approve the legislation before it is voted on by the full House and Senate.  

“Folks in Skagit County need help protecting their homes, farms and businesses from the devastation of future floods,” said Representative Rick Larsen. “This funding is the boost needed to propel the GI toward project design and study completion so we can begin constructing the critical flood control projects that will help prevent flooding and reduce the risk to lives and property in the Skagit Valley. I thank Senator Murray for her commitment to securing this essential funding for the Skagit Valley community.”

“This investment is a crucial piece of our effort to give Skagit County families the flood protection and peace of mind they deserve,” said Senator Patty Murray. “I was proud to work closely with Rep. Larsen to secure this funding for Skagit County. And I am going to continue working with the Skagit Valley community to make sure they have the resources they need to keep their families, homes, and businesses safe.”

“We really appreciate Congressman Rick Larsen, Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell for going the extra mile to acquire this funding in these trying economic times. We also thank our project management team at the Corps of Engineers, and our local partners for their support,” said Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt. “This level of funding allows us to complete the General Investigation in a timely manner and protect our citizens and infrastructure from the devastation of large flood events on the Skagit River.”

This funding will provide for the maximum amount of work that can be completed by the Corps of Engineers in Fiscal Year 2011 and will be the boost needed to propel the GI out of the data gathering stage and closer to project design and study completion. This is the largest amount of funding to ever be secured for this project by Congress.

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