The King County Flood District will hold a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at the Sno-Valley Senior Center, 4610 Stephens Ave., Carnation, to discuss results of a study about historical flooding patterns in the Snoqualmie River basin.

Flood Control District Supervisor Kathy Lambert has indicated that she plans to attend. Ed McCarthy, PhD, the consultant who conducted the study and provided an independent review, will also be at the meeting.

“We heard from concerned residents along the lower Snoqualmie River that flooding seemed to be getting worse,” said Lambert. “I took these concerns seriously and wanted them investigated.”

In response to community feedback, an independent consultant was hired to investigate how flooding has changed in the Snoqualmie River and what might be causing changes.

A first phase was completed in the spring of 2016 and looked at flooding impacts from two large river projects near Snoqualmie Falls. The April 18 meeting is to share findings from the second phase of the investigation, which looks more broadly at flooding changes throughout the river basin.

The draft study, “Snoqualmie River Hydrologic Study: Evaluation of Trends and Current Conditions,” looks at historic trends in river flow, precipitation, forestry, sedimentation, and other factors that affect flooding impacts.

The study’s findings show that the history of flooding in the Snoqualmie Valley has been very dynamic but that some trends can be found. There are clear signs of seasonal changes in flow and some evidence that flooding is happening more often.

Conclusive evidence that floods are getting bigger or arriving faster could not be found, though the study does highlight that particularly dramatic flooding has occurred in recent years.

The report also includes recommendations to improve river gauging for flood warning in the Valley.

The study provides a solid basis for understanding the past and current conditions in the Snoqualmie River. This information will be used to inform future efforts, such as the actions recommended by the Fish-Farm-Flood Advisory Committee.

A copy of the study is available online. To learn more about this study or submit comments, go to kingcounty.gov/rivers and follow the link for the Snoqualmie River Hydraulic and Hydrologic Study.

The public comment period for the study ends May 3.