Pierce County recently hosted a ceremony marking the completion of a project designed to reduce flooding in the Canyon Road area between 84th Street East and 90th Street East.

Pierce County Public Works and Utilities hosted the May 12 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the recently completed the $2.5-million Canyon Creek Stream Enhancement and Flood Mitigation project. County Councilmember Joyce MacDonald attended and thanked the community members for their patience throughout the construction. Public Works and Utilities Director Brian Ziegler and project manager Al Amirzehni were also on hand to talk about the significance of the project and how it will alleviate the frequent flooding in that area.

Besides the reduction in flooding, the project also enhances wetlands and the stream channel and improves water quality and habitat. Project features include a 50,000-cubic-yard detention pond, four large box culverts, 2,500 feet of enhanced stream channel, and 1,200 feet of improved roadway. In winter 2010, the project area will be planted with native vegetation to enhance habitat and improve water quality.

“Projects like these don’t seem very complex, but they involve a great deal of planning, design, engineering, and inspection,” said Harold Smelt, director of the department’s Surface Water Management division. “It’s not enough to just construct it, we want it to be done right and to benefit the people in this community.”

“We have a responsibility to be good stewards of the property we own, and to provide a real benefit to Pierce County residents,” Ziegler added. “This is a project the community can feel good about.”

For more information, visit http://www.piercecountywa.org/pc/services/home/environ/water/cip/canyoncrkbypass..htm .