STANWOOD — The city of Stanwood is near completion of its new deployable floodgate near the 532 overpass on Marine Drive. When finished, the floodgate will provide quick and crucial flood protection to downtown Stanwood, a press release stated on May 15.
Since late 2024, the city has been building a 30-foot channel across Marine Drive, where metal plates can be slid into place within minutes to block the road, City Administrator Shawn Smith said to The Daily Herald in November.
Stanwood lies in a 100-year floodplain, only 2 feet above sea level in places, and the location of the deployable wall is a particularly vulnerable spot where the Stillaguamish River historically floods.
Previously, city staff and community members had to manually sandbag the area, which was both labor intensive and not always effective, the press release said.
“My commitment to you as Mayor is to do all we can to prevent flooding,” Mayor Sid Roberts said. “The floodwall project is another measure we are taking to keep our city safe.”
The deployable floodgate is the first of two project phases. The city is working with Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad to create another floodwall along the railway. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $432,606.
Eliza Aronson: 425-339-3434; eliza.aronson@heraldnet.com; X: @ElizaAronson.
Eliza’s stories are supported by the Herald’s Environmental and Climate Reporting Fund.
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