McCorkle Creek Dike Repair
Client: Lexington Control Zone Flood District, Cowlitz County, Washington
A developer’s contractor excavated into the McCorkle Creek dike which protects a nearby neighborhood from flood events. The damage occurred during water and sewer utility installation in late October 2021. The overall dike section impacted was approximately 300 feet. Gibbs & Olson assisted the District with assessing the damage and recommending solutions to repair the dike. After onsite assessments were completed, it was determined immediate temporary measures were required to minimize flooding risks during the winter of 2021-22. It was also determined additional dike repairs would be needed to reinforce the bank permanently. Gibbs & Olson assisted the District in directing acceptable temporary measures to be installed by the developer’s contractor.
Our team was subsequently hired to design and oversee permanent dike repair construction. The repair was performed with appropriate fill material and constructed in layers that were keyed into both ends of the existing dike. We provided full-time onsite construction inspection, documented construction activities, and oversaw fill compaction testing.
Working with Gibbs & Olson feels like working with a real partner who is an extension of my own office and I appreciate that we can have combinations of short easy conversations or in-depth complex ones. When we have worked with, or presented to, our elected officials or the general public, their ability to communicate clearly always impresses me and enables us to achieve our objectives.
—Patrick Harbison, PE, Utilities Manager, Cowlitz County Public Works
