Whatcom County Public Works River and Flood Division is working on these bank protection and levee repairs projects in 2022 and 2023.
Existing riprap protecting the Nooksack riverbank upstream of Everson and near the Trans Mountain Pipeline crossing is losing rock, exposing the bank in some locations. Work is underway summer 2022 to repair the failing riprap protecting the slope. The proposed improvements will incorporate habit features.
The left (west) abutment of the Glacier Creek bridge is currently protected by a levee built in 1962 after a damaging flood. The levee has two primary functions: preventing a major channel avulsion toward the narrower Gallup Creek bridge crossing and protecting the left abutment of the Glacier Creek bridge from erosion. The levee has been repaired occasionally over the last half century. ln November 2018, an approximately 100-foot long portion of the levee was partially eroded during a flood. The eroded portion has expanded to approximately 170 feet as a result of further damage sustained during the February 2020 and November 2021 floods. This bank is vulnerable to significant bank loss because of this damage. Work is underway summer 2022 to repair this damaged section of the levee.
The November 2021 flooding caused scouring and a major breach of the Marine Drive Levee. The major breach was repaired by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A temporary repair for three damaged sites is underway summer 2022 to prepare the levee for the next flood season. Due to supply chain issues, the materials required for a permanent fix are unavailable. A larger repair project is scheduled for 2023.