Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Thurston County Commissioner Kevin O'Sullivan surveys the Deschutes River logjam from the sheriff's office helicopter Monday afternoon. County and state officials are pondering how to deal with the jam, which started in the area shown near the bottom of the photograph and worked its way back up the river.

Logjam's effect stretches out

State, federal officials might soon be enlisted for help

LORRINE THOMPSON, THE OLYMPIAN

THURSTON COUNTY -- It wasn't a great deal of rain, but it was enough to cost Bill Pendergast and his family two nights' sleep.

Pendergast lives on the Deschutes River near Waldrick Road, next to the 1,200-foot-long logjam that has grown long enough and dense enough to cause flooding on nearby properties.

Moderate rain Thursday and Friday caused the river to "rise up to where we were out manning pumps and sandbagging," Pendergast said.

"At nights, you get up and pump for half an hour, lay down for an hour, then get up and pump again," he said.

"By Sunday, we were doing it every two hours, and last night, we finally got some sleep," Pendergast said.

Thurston County commissioners, staff members and consultants have explored potential solutions to the logjam for nearly a month.

They will meet again Wednesday to look into more details.

On Monday, Commissioner Kevin O'Sullivan and several state legislators and legislative staff members flew over the logjam in the Thurston County Sheriff's Office helicopter.

"I want to see what the situation looks like. From what I understand, you're in a hot spot no matter what you do," said Rep. Roger Bush, R-Spanaway, whose district will change this year to include the logjam area.

"I want to be aware of what's going on down there, so I can hit the ground running," Bush said.

Bush said he wants to talk with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials about the jam.

Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo; and staff members with Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis; Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester and other legislators viewed and photographed the logjam as well.

O'Sullivan said he hopes to get some help from legislators to streamline the permit process, should county commissioners decide to take action on the logjam.

"The permit process can really hold us up," O'Sullivan said. "It's a nonpartisan issue, and we're going to need some help."

After swelling from the moderate rain late last week, the river near the logjam was calm again Monday, said county spokesman John Tennis.

"We're fortunate to have some dry days following the rain," Tennis said. "We've got our fingers crossed it will stay that way."

Lorrine Thompson covers Thurston County and health for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-754-5431.

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