Posted on November 13, 2024
Thurston County has agreed to help pay for increased dredging in West Bay if the Deschutes Estuary is restored.
The county commission voted 3-1 to approve an interlocal agreement for that purpose, citing wider community benefits.
The vote occurred after a two-week delay and despite opposition from a few vocal opponents who questioned why the county would commit to spending more than $7.6 million through 2050 to help manage sediment in West Bay waters in the heart of Olympia that are frequented by recreational boaters.
Sediment in those waters will need to be dredged in the decades to come once the estuary is restored, according to the agreement with the Washington state Department of Enterprise Services and several local jurisdictions.
The state intends to restore the estuary by removing the 5th Avenue dam at the mouth of the Deschutes River. Mock-ups of the area show a more natural scene with a new 5th Avenue bridge in Olympia.
