King County is hosting two public meetings for Snoqualmie Valley residents to discuss future flood risks due to channel migration.

The meetings are hosted by the River and Floodplain Management staff of King County’s Department of Natural Resources and Parks. There will be a public virtual meeting via Zoom from 6-8 p.m. June 18. There will also be an in-person open house at Carnation City Hall from 6-8 p.m. June 25. Online registration is required.

Channel migration is a natural process in which a stream or river moves laterally, either gradually over time or quickly during a flooding event. Channel migration alters the location of the river, also altering risk factors for nearby homes and other infrastructure.

Because channel migration is generally a long-term process, it may not be easily noticeable, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. That’s where channel migration zones come in handy — local governments are required to identify and limit development within these zones, according to Ecology.

King County recently conducted a channel migration zone study on the lower Snoqualmie River from the base of Snoqualmie Falls to the border of King and Snohomish counties. King County is now asking residents to provide feedback on its draft channel migration zone map.

The public can submit comments on the draft map from June 18 through Aug. 6. King County is most interested in local knowledge that could improve the map. Once the comment period ends, King County will submit the map to the Department of Local Services for adoption.

More information about the study and the map itself, as well as registration for the meetings, can be found at publicinput.com/lower-snoq-cmz.