SNOHOMISH -The Election Day floods threatened people, cattle and buildings, but the floodwaters also swallowed three city parks and a popular trail.
More than a month later, city officials are trying to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency to contribute more than $488,000 toward repairs.
Pilchuck Park needs $396,519, and Cady Park needs $91,500, city officials say. Proposed projects at those parks include placing riprap along the Snohomish River, laying topsoil and planting willows to stabilize the eroded riverbank.
The city is still assessing the damage.
“Our total amount of damage will most likely go up,” said Sharon Pettit, the city’s building official.
The city also is seeking $15,250 to remove debris at the two parks, Kla Ha Ya Park and other city-owned buildings.
FEMA officials inspected the flood damage, City Manager Larry Bauman said. The city is hopeful it will get the requested money, he added.
Meanwhile, the floods didn’t do much damage to the Riverfront Trail, Bauman said, because the city finished renovating the trail in February with a design that took flood hazards into account.
The $2.5 million project included installing steel girders and stabilizing the riverbank along the trail.
“It worked well,” Bauman said.
Pilchuck Park along the Pilchuck River sustained the most damage. Floodwaters eroded the park’s bank and washed away wood chips in the play area.
Kla Ya Ha Park, along the Snohomish River, and Pilchuck Park remain closed, Bauman said.
Some people are eager to help the city make repairs.
Renee Deierling of Snohomish said she wants to see Pilchuck Park, one of the city’s biggest parks, reopened before spring.
Deierling and her husband, Dell, often take their 8-year-old daughter, Christina, to city parks. The couple volunteer in the city’s Adopt-a-Park program.
“We think it’s important to give back to the community,” she said.
City Councilwoman Lya Badgley coordinates the volunteer program. A few people have contacted her offering to help clean up the parks, she said.
“It’s wonderful that the community works that way,” Badgley said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
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