Neadham Road Floodplain Reconnection

About the Project

The primary goals of this project include removing people and infrastructure from a repetitive flood loss area along the Puyallup River, as well as minimizing Pierce County’s maintenance and response services to an area that experiences repetitive flood damages along the Neadham Road corridor near Orting.

A secondary goal is to remove portions of the existing levee system to allow the river to migrate back to historic floodplain areas that were cut off by the levees.

The upper Puyallup River supports a variety of salmonid species, including chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Allowing reconnection of the floodplain will provide for opportunities for the increase in aquatic habitat within this reach of the river system.

This project is estimated to cost approximately $10.5 million.

Contact

Ingo Kuchta
Project Manager
(253) 798-6165 
[email protected]

Project Status

To achieve the primary goals of this project, Pierce County has been engaged in property acquisitions along Neadham Road East. The project is currently in the final stages of acquiring the three remaining properties. Preliminary design is currently underway for the project area.

When these properties are acquired, the County will abandon Neadham Road East and remove portions of the existing levee to allow the river to flow more naturally. As of 2022, there are approximately 2,350 feet of levee to be removed.

Why This Project Matters

This section of the upper Puyallup River is highly dynamic and is actively migrating toward the right bank. The existing levee system provides less than a 100-year level of flood protection and has experienced substantial damages from past flood events, particularly in the 1990s and 2000s.

Timeline

  • 1995 - 2024: Property acquisition
  • 2017: Project development and initiation
  • Current - 2024: Preliminary design phase
  • 2024 - 2025: Final design and permitting
  • 2026: Anticipated construction

Levee remnant 

Old_Levee_RM26

2006 Flooding of Neadham Road Area

DSC_0949

Project location

The project is located on the right bank of the Puyallup River, approximately 3.5 miles south of Orting.

Neadham Road Floodplain Reconnection Map Opens in new window