Kent mayor presses federal coordination on Howard Hanson Dam after December floods

Mayor Dana Ralph said Kent is pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for better coordination of water releases from the Howard Hanson Dam after December flooding produced unexpectedly high flows downstream.

"The city of Kent's biggest request is really around coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the amount of water that is being released from the Howard Hanson Dam," Ralph said, adding that what is reported at the dam often appears as "significantly more, faster and higher water" at the Auburn-Kent gauge.

Ralph thanked Senator Patty Murray for convening a roundtable where Kent and neighboring jurisdictions reviewed the December flood response and discussed steps to reduce future risk. Participants included the King County executive, mayors from nearby cities and King County Council member Stephanie Fain, she said.

Ralph said she will raise the issue at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., where she has meetings scheduled with Senator Murray’s office, Senator Cantwell and members of Congress to seek solutions for release coordination and improved flood mitigation.

The mayor did not announce a formal local policy change or binding agreement; she described the meetings as the next step in seeking federal engagement. No specific technical fixes or timelines were provided during the update.