Cooper Pt. and Blacklake Dr.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:04pm — Rick

The entire intersection is under water. Those are the roofs of abandoned cars.

flooding olympia thurston

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Tue, 12/04/2007 - 9:10pm — chad360

Re: solution

if you could divert storm water (not sewage) to the Black Lake Ditch it would be a start...that or pump it up over the hill to Grass Lake to discharge Mud Bay side, but getting runoff that is not saturated with feces is the key--

In any case the boondoggle know as LOTT is not "technically excellent" my any means, and I really begrudge the money I spend on Storm Water & LOTT.

Everything used to drain to Black Lake and then discharge to Mud Bay or tidal area that is now "FLOD" (Capital Lake; Fetid Lake of Doom).

I hope the Puget Sound Partnership targets the Capital Lake Estuary Restoration project as a "critical item" to remediate--

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:09pm — Sarah

Whoa

What a difference a photo makes. Reading about this is nothing compared to actually seeing. Thanks Rick.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:10pm — Rob Richards

wow indeed

that is intense

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:13pm — hrstruggle

Wow!

Amazing photo - it's more attractive as a standing lake than it usually looks full of auto traffic. (condolonces to those whose cars are stranded)

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:15pm — JstPlnOnry

My Daughter

Just took a photo of this same site and said kids were floating around in it on rafts...

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 4:55pm — Myrtle McFertile

Why does that intersection flood before downtown?

I don't get it.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 5:11pm — Anonymously Larry

Lots and lots of hard surfaces pointing downhill

and no bay or FLOD to catch the surface water.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 5:29pm — Guglielmo

It would help if they created things like

this in that part of town. Heck, everywhere.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 5:24pm — Ehver Green

From Salkum, an Engineering Friend

"Clogged storm drains, poor engineering design of the stormwater basins (i.e. Yauger), and way too much pavement in the area. It won’t be the last time, and it will probably get worse in the future…

They need a pump station to move the water out, if they don’t have one now. Now that most of West Olympia is paved, letting stormwater seep into the ground won’t cut it anymore."

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 9:10pm — Anonymously Larry

Absolutely correct!

Even with a lift station, they'd have to have someplace to send the water. The closest thing I can think of is the canal running out of Black Lake and I'd bet there would be too much water for that, also.

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.....or 12

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 5:44pm — Sarah

Photo on the move

oh my gooooodness!

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 9:51pm — Nicki

New thought

Geez! Thank goodness they aren't thinking of putting the new City Hall up on the west side...might get flooded! I guess we are really better off with one downtown after all! At least if worse comes to worse and the sea level actually does rise too high, they can engineer some dikes like in Holland. Why not? They have lived below sea level for hundreds of years and they all get a long just fine. I'm sure they could get some govt. relief for that, or just raise taxes, that should do it.

Mon, 12/03/2007 - 10:05pm — Rob Richards

Yeah! Just like New Orleans!

Unlike Holland, we're not very good at living below sea level. I think we should plan around the water. If you fight the ocean, you'll drown.

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 8:18am — Nicki

Maybe in Holland they are just better engineers?

I've never been to New Orlean's but Holland has it figured out with an elborate and intricate system of berms and water barriers, which seldom fail. But they are a very determined people. It doesn't make for very good for vistas, but it sure has been keeping the water out almost 100 years. They have a saying that says "God created the world, but the Dutch created Holland". Granted it is a much smaller area, but it's doable if we wanted to put energy into such a project. Is the alternative to abandon all low lying buildings and take downtown Olympia to the west side? Would the Capitol be at shoreline? Interesting thought.

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 11:03am — Rob Richards

Actually

The "new" shoreline would simply be the original shoreline. Much of downtown and all of the port property were person-made by bringing in fill. We then built on tip of it, with a nice shiny new waterline. When sea level rise happens (and it will Doug Mah), the water is going to rise back to it's original place.

If you can imagine what the port peninsula looks like then just scoot it inland. The very tip of the new peninsula would be the Washington Center for Performing Arts (much cooler waterfront than we have now, don't you think?). Or check out this fun map.

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 11:52am — Guglielmo

To be fair,

I think your map is based on sea levels considerably higher than predicted. Isn't this probably more like it?

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 11:54am — Rob Richards

i don't see a difference

The maps look the same to me.

The map I posted allows you to select different levels. I picked 7m because that's what we get next year when Greenland slides into the ocean.

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 12:04pm — Guglielmo

Aren't the projection for the south Sound

something like 2.5 feet? There's definately a difference in the 1 meter and 7 meter maps. But even a one meter rise will put a lot of things out of commission. Why do you hate Greenland?

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 1:53pm — Rob Richards

I hate Antarctica equally.

I just think Greenland is closer to falling in the water than Antarctica.

Tue, 12/04/2007 - 11:26pm — chad360

modern landscape is pretty useless

--just goes to show how little humans think they know about reality.

Humans and other animal life need the sheltering forests >period<

...and to live in the NW without respecting nature, the weather, and the forest is just plain foolish.

--I could use stronger terms to convey my feelings, by that would be rude--

But I so rejoice to see nature throw modern life a monkey-wrench! I don't live in a flood plain and that is a choice I make! >wake up< clear-cut & pay the price.

I swear most folks are short-sighted; don't they realize what is worthwhile vs. BS said/done to make a quick $$$?

I am no guru(just a guy from Puyullup that was lucky enough to be born in the US in 1970), and if most of this stuff makes sense to me, why don't others "get it"?

Anyways, when I was little I used to play in creeks & puddles all the time, so I was out splashing around in the rain; I love the rainfall! bring it on!

Great pics on the 'blog-

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