Study Will Give County Better Idea About Flooding In/Around: Five Mile Prairie

Thu., May 18, 2000

By Isamu Jordan isamuj@spokesman.com

Spokane County’s Public Works Department will have a better idea on how to control basement flooding in the Five Mile Prairie neighborhood after conducting an underground study.

County commissioners moved $30,000 from the stormwater utility reserve account to fund a seismic refraction study in Five Mile later this summer.

The county is in final negotiations on a contract with Budinger and Associates, a local firm conducting the study.

Geologists determine what kind of material is underground by sending soundwaves below the surface and then tracking them with underground listening devices called geophones.

The county utilities division will use the results as a guide to establish stormwater standards for new housing developments on the Prairie, said Brenda Sims, stormwater utilities manager.

Residents in Five Mile Prairie have had problems with basement flooding because of excess runoff from paved roads, roofs, new garages and parking lots.

“Anytime you take away natural vegetation there is going to be runoff,” said Sims.

By using data from the seismic refraction study, the county can determine which houses can contain basements without the threat of flooding.

The Public Works Department received 568 responses to a questionnaire on stormwater issues. Of those, 279 residents reported problems with storm water, 160 of which led to flooding.

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