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Thanks to state military funding, Lewis County will soon be able to remove two Conex storage containers, up to six recreational vehicles and a heap of smaller debris left in the Cowlitz River after major flooding hit the area in December of last year.
The Lewis County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday morning unanimously approved a resolution to accept $1.5 million in grant funding through the Washington state Military Department during a weekly business meeting.
County staff hope to have all of the debris removed from a section of the Cowlitz River by the end of October.
According to Lewis County Emergency Management Director Erika Katt, the timeline for the work largely depends on the permitting process to complete it.
“We’re hoping, fingers crossed, depending on how expedited we can get these permits through, to have it out in October. By the end of October,” Katt said. “It just depends on how long the permitting process goes.”
The funding is the latest installment of relief coming to the county related to the severe weather and flooding that hit western Washington in mid-December of last year.
According to the letter awarding the grant to the county, the debris removal project will focus on the section of the Cowlitz River passing through and between the two unincorporated east county communities of Randle and Packwood.
The two communities were the hardest hit by the flooding locally, though widespread inundation occurred throughout Western Washington.
For reporting related to the 2025 flooding, visit https://tinyurl.com/34xpwp5e.
A preliminary budget for the work included in the grant application shows the bulk of the grant funding — approximately $855,000 — is expected to go to a contractor for the labor. More than $200,000 is budgeted to cover the costs of disposing of the debris pulled from the river, and another $125,000 for the equipment for the job. Other smaller costs bring the estimated total to $1.5 million.
According to Katt, Lewis County qualified for the grant funding in large part because of the costs associated with removing the large debris. According to criteria listed in the grant document, the project could have also received priority due to a large pattern of flooding in the area.
The Flood Response grant for waterway and debris clearance prioritizes areas where large debris might worsen the severity of local flooding in the future.
“The department seeks to reduce these hazards by funding projects that remove eligible obstructions and restore the ability of waterways to safely convey floodwater,” reads a line from the grant program plan.
The program was most recently funded by the Washington state Legislature during its 2026 short legislative session in order to provide relief to Washington counties hit hard by flooding in 2025.
