Flood Authority announces changes and current work plans

There is the adage that "the more things change, the more they stay the same."

This is certainly true for the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority.

"While research and scientific analysis continues on potential large flood projects, more than 200 local fish and flood projects have been completed on time and on budget benefitting every community in the Chehalis Basin," Office of Chehalis Basin Board member J. Vander Stoep stated in a news release. "Most of that work is thanks to the action of the Flood Authority. That work will continue under new leadership."

Since November 2025, the Flood Authority has braced itself for the departure of its long-serving leader Vickie Raines.

Rainies served as chair of the Flood Authority for the last 14 years and established a tone and practice of delivering practical results across the Basin to the benefit of all communities, according to the news release.

Raines also served in parallel to chair the Chehalis Basin Board for the past 10 years providing balanced and effective leadership focused on delivering results for all communities in the basin, whether they were focused on flooding or fish.

While Raines has now moved on to new chapters and new challenges - March 31 was her last day as a sitting Grays Harbor County commissioner and elected official - the Flood Authority continues its mission of identifying, implementing and supporting flood and fish solutions across the basin, the release stated.

In January 2026, under the new leadership of Edna Fund as chair of the Flood Authority and Brian Shay as vice chair, the Flood Authority member jurisdictions again, as they have done individually and collectively for nearly a decade, authored a resolution supporting open, transparent and "information rich" decision-making on the proposed flow-through dam for flood control currently being evaluated by state and federal environmental authorities.

"Vickie did a tremendous job, and her departure is a big loss, but the work of the Flood Authority will continue full steam ahead," Shay said.

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