High Tide in Downtown Olympia

High Tide in Downtown Olympia

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Above: Areas of downtown Olympia experienced minor flooding due to a high tide in Budd Inlet and low atmospheric pressure early Thursday morning. Favorable weather conditions created a tide lower than expected, but still put some infrastructure under corrosive sea water. This view looking southwest was taken about 6:58 a.m. from Percival Landing behind the Oyster House restaurant near Sylvester Street. 

High Tide a Dry Run for Sea Level Rise

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Starting at about 5:00 a.m., City of Olympia's Rich Hoey, director of public works, and Andy Haub, director of water resources, and staff were busy monitoring a potential 18 foot tide in Budd Inlet and flooding in downtown Olympia early Thursday morning.

Luckily, favorable weather conditions created a tide lower than expected, and flooding was relatively minor.

“It’s helpful that it’s not raining. It’s great for the crews to see how this works so they can get ready for the real thing...imagine six more inches on top of this....” said Haub, near the Oyster House restaurant on Sylvester Street at 6:46 a.m. 

Haub said the tide peaked at about 17.4 feet and the city had 17 people, a mix of stormwater operations and transportation staff, assisting in the field. 

Staff monitored the areas of 4th, 5th, and State Avenues between Columbia Street and the 4th Avenue bridge, Columbia Street between B and Corky Avenues by Budd Bay Cafe, and Thurston Avenue between Jefferson and Franklin Streets. 

There was no flooding on Water Street or at Capitol Lake as staff monitored the city’s stormwater shut off valve and pump located near the Waterstreet Café. 

Haub gets excited about atmospheric pressure dynamics and says he's going to look into putting a tide gauge near “The Kiss” statue on Percival Landing with an educational sign that explains how it all works.

“Tomorrow and future days look fine - barometric pressure is back up and tides are on the downward cycle,” said Haub on Thursday afternoon.

The Port of Olympia reported that it did not experience any backups or flooding. 

“Staff drove around and checked early this morning and have been on the property during the day,” said Port of Olympia communications and public affairs manager Kathleen White.

Two staff members of the LOTT Clean Water Alliance were seen out on bicycles checking for potential issues around or near the treatment plant and the Water Street pump station.  

“We did have some minimal overflow in the street in front of our building this morning, but nothing major. We have seen flooding there before….We haven’t had any problems with the treatment plant itself flooding as a result of these high tides. High tides combined with major storm events (do) put pressure on the outfall, causing our pumps to work harder than normal,” said LOTT community relations and environmental policy director Kara Fowler.

Downtown Flooding - a Dry Run for Sea Level Rise

There are 112 known outfalls to Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet within the city limits. An outfall is the place where a river, drain, or sewer empties into the sea, a river, or a lake.

Of those piped outfalls, 36 are susceptible to backflow flooding. Twenty are city owned, nine around Capitol Lake are owned by Washington State, five are owned by the Port of Olympia, and two are privately owned, one near Bayview and one behind the Oyster House.

Above: Flooding creeps up Sylvester Street on Thursday morning looking south toward  the nine story Capital Center Building and the state Capitol Building. The Oyster House is on the left.

In January 2015, the city, Port of Olympia, and the LOTT Clean Water Alliance provided a coordinated presentation of their concerns and needs to a group of shoreline and coastal planners. Haub recently told Little Hollywood that his infrastructure needs, as he presented them to the group, remain valid:

Near-term Infrastructure (0.25 feet of sea level rise)

Install strategic tide gates, modify drainage system for the Capitol Lake to eliminate need to pump the 20 acre basin,  and investigate the permeability of downtown soils.

Medium-term Infrastructure (0.25 to 0.5 feet of sea level rise)

Modify elevations of Heritage Park, install permanent flood barriers on western shore of peninsula, consolidate peninsula drainage systems, disconnect flood-prone streets from the Moxlie Creek drainage system, and purchase pumps to handle downtown runoff during high tides.

After the sea level rise report presented to the city council on February 9, Little Hollywood asked Haub about Capitol Lake's stormwater system.  

“....As we learn more...we understand that the lake currently serves an important flood management function. However, the system and the topography around the lake could readily be altered to accommodate either a future estuary or lake. Sea rise will require change, regardless of the lake’s future....Our concern is that the long term projection for sea rise continues to increase, which will affect our infrastructure response.” 

He also said Percival Landing is about a foot too low to accommodate a very high tide or sea level rise.

“We expect the area around the southern portion of Percival Landing to over-top at 19 feet. The high tide on December 17, 2012 was a 17.6 foot tide. The estimate for a 100-year tide event under current conditions is 18 to 18.4 feet. When we rebuild it, we will need to evaluate the appropriate height and then how to incrementally increase it further as needed. That will be part of the design process. There are numerous options for combining flood barriers with public use and aesthetics…up to a point,” he said.

Above: By 7:10 a.m. Thursday morning, the tide was obviously receding, as indicated by this visible high water mark at Percival Landing.

For more photos and information and about downtown flooding, sea level rise, the Public Works report on sea level rise to city councilmembers on February 9, past high tide events, Capitol Lake, the valves that save a portion of downtown from flooding, the Oyster House, Percival Landing and more, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search engine.

Olympia Grapples with Flood Management, Sea Level Rise

Olympia Grapples with Flood Management, Sea Level Rise

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Above: Under a surly afternoon sky, City of Olympia and Washington State Department of Enterprise Services staff were on flood watch and ready with sandbags at Capitol Lake in the late afternoon of December 10, 2015. “It’s a bit of a dance,” said Andy Haub, City of Olympia director of water resources, of the flood management process and roles played by the city and state.

City Staff Clarify Statement That Dam is Needed to Control Downtown Flooding

By Janine Gates

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

The stunningly frank sea level rise report delivered by city public works staff to Olympia councilmembers earlier this week was loud and clear: develop a vision and a plan to begin adapting to sea level rise. Like, now.

But even without the extra burden of sea level rise, the protocol for managing current flood events in downtown Olympia requires a highly managed rapid response involving state and local agency coordination.

Above: When the lake gets too high, the city stormwater system backs up. A valve, located under Water Street, is shut off, preventing lake water from flowing “up” the stormwater outlet to the lake and discharging to the catch basin in the streets at Columbia and Water Street. A pump takes the stormwater and puts it into the lake.

The Department of Enterprise Services (DES), the state agency responsible for managing the 260 acre lake, regularly releases as much water through the 5th Avenue dam as each low tide allows.

DES closely monitors weather forecasts, streamflow on the Deschutes River, tide tables and more to determine when to lower the lake below the normal winter level in advance of major storms.

On December 10, 2015, a combination of record-setting rainfall, flooding on the Deschutes River and high tides in Puget Sound caused flooding around Capitol Lake and Heritage Park. So, when DES staff determined that the lake was going to flood, the department notified the City of Olympia and closed a section of Water Street and 7th Avenue.

The city implemented its flood response plan which includes pumping excess stormwater directly into Capitol Lake and placing sandbags in the area to protect nearby businesses.

By their own admission, city staff underestimated the rate at which the lake was rising and were later than usual in closing a valve, resulting in lake water flooding the streets and coming to within inches of the doors of Olympia Supply and other local businesses.

On December 11, 2015, the day after the somewhat minor flooding incident, Little Hollywood interviewed Andy Haub, City of Olympia director of water resources, who was onsite with staff during the emergency.

LH: Tell me about this valve...the water got to within four inches of Olympia Supply's doors. 

 

Haub: We close the valve in order to prevent lake water from flowing “up” the stormwater outlet to the lake and discharging to the catch basin in the streets at Columbia and Water. The pools of water in the streets are lake/Budd Inlet water.   Usually we close the valve before the lake starts backing up. Then, the only water we pump is precipitation from the Columbia and Water Street area. In other words, once we shut the valve in the stormwater pipe, we have to pump the upstream stormwater.

Yesterday (December 10, 2015), we underestimated the rate at which the lake was rising and so were later than usual in closing the valve. Once we started the pump, the water in the streets declined very quickly - 15 minutes….

LH: I was told that the Capitol Lake area is the lowest catch basin in downtown.

Haub: The two block area around Columbia and Water Street is the only real area that is at risk from flooding due to the lake backing up. At some point, the lake can't hold it all, so that's why DES folks were standing around (in the afternoon) waiting to see if the tide would rise too high, plus the water in the lake would make it all overflow like a bathtub. When the Deschutes is flowing very high, the State lowers the lake by opening the 5th Avenue dam during the low tide preceding the high tide. Then they close the dam when the tides turn to a high tide, thereby keeping the high tide out of the lake and providing room for the river flows. It’s a bit of a dance….

LH: Is that portable pump station always going to be down there with chain link fencing around it if it seems like this is a permanent problem area? 

Haub: We keep one of the pumps there during the peak of the winter.

Haub explained that other factors such as barometric measure, wind direction and speed, temperature, low pressure systems and the effect they have on high tides also dictate Olympia’s flooding risk.

“It’s very interesting to think about and understand. Our high tide was 1.95 feet higher than predicted, simply due to low barometric pressure. You and your audience would find this dynamic interesting….” said Haub.

LH: If this whole area reverted back to an estuary, would we even we worrying about all this?

Haub: Same dynamic.

At that point, Little Hollywood had taken up enough of Haub’s time.

Above: The valve near Capitol Lake that saves a portion of downtown from flooding. 

Fast Forward: Capitol Lake, The Dam and Flood Clarification

Along with Haub, Eric Christiansen, City of Olympia water resources planning and engineer manager, provided the staff report at last Tuesday night’s council study session on sea level rise issues.

Councilmember Jessica Bateman asked how its reverting back to an estuary would impact downtown and Christiansen responded that without the dam, downtown would flood more frequently.

This short response confused and alarmed community members active with lake management conversations.

On Thursday, Little Hollywood asked Christiansen to clarify his response to Bateman, which was in conflict with the Capitol Lake Adaptive Management Plan’s (CLAMP) final Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study report of 2007.

The report says, in part:

“...The City of Olympia may require a FEMA-approved floodplain study as part of the permitting requirements for the proposed restoration project. However, it can be concluded that flooding in the restored estuary will be similar to current (managed lake) conditions at worst. A decided advantage of the restored estuary is that flood management will no longer depend on the correct functioning of a mechanical system – flooding under current conditions can be considerably exacerbated if the tide gate controls should fail.”

Christiansen responded:

“I maybe partially misspoke. There are a few blocks of downtown between Water and Columbia and 5th and 7th streets that are at a very low elevation, approximately two feet below the flood elevation. There are about 19 storm drain pipes that connect that area and the park with Capitol Lake. Only two of those pipes that I am aware of have valves to prevent water from flowing backward into the streets. The State manipulates the dam to keep lake levels low when tides are high, thus for the most part keeping water out of the streets. The last six to twelve inches of lake elevation make a big difference. We had about a dozen tides this winter that could have caused flooding.

“Without the dam, the drainage systems will need to be modified by adding additional valves and probably consolidating pipes. It will also help if the ground in key parts of Heritage Park is elevated. The railroad tracks pose an additional challenge,” said Christensen.

Above: The 5th Avenue dam on December 18, 2015.

In conflict with information city staff and local environmental advocates have been providing the city for years, multiple downtown development projects are underway in precisely the area destined to be first impacted by sea level rise. 

These vulnerable areas, built on fill, are well within the historic shoreline of Budd Inlet.

Next: Community Response to Sea Level Rise Report

For more information about community efforts and issues in Olympia regarding Capitol Lake, the Community and Economic Revitalization Committee, sea level rise, high tide events, CLAMP, Percival Landing, Moxlie Creek, LOTT Clean Water Alliance and more, go to Little Hollywood, www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com, and type key words into the search button.

Oyster House Restaurant Takes Shape

Oyster House Restaurant Takes Shape

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Above: Oyster House restaurant owners Leticia and Tom Barrett inspect the progress on the framing earlier this afternoon.

 

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Construction has begun on the rebuilding of the Oyster House restaurant in downtown Olympia. The framing for the walls was built in the back parking lot of the property on Sylvester Street near Percival Landing and put up yesterday morning with a crane in three hours. 

Today, Oyster House owners Tom and Leticia Barrett stopped by to check out the progress. They said they hope to open by mid July.

“It’s all still up in the air, and depends on the weather. God willing, everything will work out… there are a lot of people out of work,” said Leticia Barrett.

About 50 employees were put out of work when the restaurant burned down due to a suspected dryer fire in July 2013.

Leticia Barrett said they hope to rehire some of their previous employees, but many have moved on to other positions. Barrett said she is in conversation with the state Department of Labor, who will host a special hiring day for them about a month before opening.  

As the Barrett’s left the job site, Butch Livengood, a framer for Bailey Construction, who was busy doing his job, said, “We’ll get it done.”

Above: The Oyster House restaurant yesterday morning, shortly after the framing went up.

 

High Tides, Sea-Level Rise and Wiring Concerns

When asked about the electrical wiring along the Budd Inlet side of their property, which is often underwater depending on the tides, Leticia Barrett said they have all their permits and is confident everything is up to code with the city. 

Last September, Little Hollywood asked city staff about the integrity of the wiring around the Oyster House since the high tide of December 2012:

“….As you probably know, the New Jersey boardwalk businesses may have burned down a couple weeks ago because of waterlogged wiring after Sandy. This is being disputed, but Governor Christie is convinced. Is there a way to find out if electrical inspections were made of city/private property wiring after December's high tide?”

In a series of September to October 2013 emails from Little Hollywood to city staff, Paul Hanna, the city's fleet and facilities supervisor for the public works department, said that the city’s department does normal electrical preventative maintenance inspections on city buildings only. 

“We have not done any inspections specific to water intrusion, because our buildings were not affected by the high tide.  I’m not aware of any other inspection work that was done,” said Hanna.

David Hanna, associate director of the Olympia Parks, Arts and Recreation department, also said in an email that there was no inspection of the Percival Landing electrical system after the heavy rains.

In a conversation late this afternoon with Tom Hill, the city’s building official and code enforcement supervisor and permit and inspection manager, Hill said he'll have the city's electrical inspector take a look at the situation.

Above: As seen from Percival Landing looking toward the Oyster House and the state Capitol Building in the distance, this picture was taken February 28, 2014, at 4:40 p.m. when the high tide was about 14.4 feet near the Oyster House.

 

Above: A close up of the wiring. The wire is imprinted with “Above ground and Underground - Sunlight Resistant” Is the wiring sea water resistant? Picture taken February 28, 2014 at about a 14.4 foot tide.

 

Above: A lamp post and another electrical box up close. The paint on the lamp posts is in direct contact with Budd Inlet and looks corroded. Picture taken February 28, 2014 at a 14.4 foot tide.

 

Above: The Oyster House, seen here, with the wiring and its parking lot fully submerged by sea water on December 17, 2012 after the high tide.

 

Above: At another angle, the Oyster House's parking lot, lamp posts, and wiring to the restaurant is seen here fully submerged by sea water on December 17, 2012 after the high tide.

 

To read more about the Oyster House and see more December 2012 high tides pictures, go to www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and type keywords into the search button.

 

Sample articles include, “Witnesses to High Tide in Olympia” posted December 17, 2012 and “Olympia's Shoreline Master Plan and the Oyster House Restaurant: A Missed Opportunity for Budd Inlet Restoration?” posted September 20, 2013.