Tumwater committee endorses additional work for riverbank stabilization at Pioneer Park 

The Tumwater Public Works Committee endorsed additional work for a project dealing with the stabilization of Deschutes River as it passes Pioneer Park. 

The committee endorsed an amended contract with Stantec Consulting Services Inc., authorizing the firm to conduct a tree study and biological assessment as part of the environmental permitting process for the project. The committee made the decision at a meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6. 

The contract will be forwarded to the city council for further consideration on Tuesday, Nov. 18. 

The project aims to reduce sedimentation into the Deschutes River for the purpose of improving salmon habitat.

Specifically, it aims to reduce fine sediment loading by 46% and increase shade cover along the river by more than 50%, according to an update by Grant Gilmore, a water resources specialist at the City of Tumwater. 

Gilmore told the committee the tree survey has to be conducted due to updates to the city’s tree code. According to the contract, the survey includes an inventory of trees within the project site, an evaluation of all those trees, and recommendations for their protection during the implementation of the project. 

Meanwhile, the biological assessment is going to evaluate the likely effects of the project on 27 animal species on the project site. 

The additional work adds more than $48,000 to the firm’s contract, raising its total value to $442,401. 

Gilmore said staffers are nearing the implementation of the first phase of the project, which deals with the upland parts of the river beyond the project site. The phase includes the planting of riparian trees and vegetation, as well as drainage improvements. 

Gilmore said  he expects to submit permit applications within the coming weeks, while implementation could possibly start by late summer 2026.

Work on the second phase, which deals with in-water stabilization features along Deschutes River, is proceeding concurrently but involves a lengthier permitting process. Gilmore said the second phase could take until 2027 to complete.