Following a statement from the City of Carnation urging Seattle to address the inactive audible warning system at the Tolt Dam, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has issued a formal response.
Carnation’s concerns were amplified after the deadly Guadalupe River flood in Texas, which underscored the limitations of cellphone-based alerts in emergencies. SPU acknowledged the city’s concerns and provided details about current dam monitoring efforts, communication protocols, and ongoing review of the siren system.
Statement from Seattle Public Utilities:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is saddened by the tragic events in Texas. We are monitoring the situation there as we do with all major disasters to identify what SPU can learn to better serve the region. We understand the concerns that City of Carnation officials have shared with us in recent conversations. We have been in regular contact with City of Carnation officials for many years, including regular attendance at City Council meetings, tours of the dam, city-to-city meetings, and community open houses.
The City of Seattle’s Tolt Dam has been and continues to be safe. SPU monitors the dam 24/7, 365 days a year with around-the-clock staffed system operators, in combination with daily in-person safety checks at the site and automated continuous monitoring of reservoir level, upstream and downstream river flows, and dam safety sensors.
In the unlikely event of a dam emergency, notifications will be made using existing emergency notification systems, including the Wireless Emergency Alert system, King County ALERT notifications, Reverse 911 phone calls, and weather radio notifications. These systems have been in place long before the sirens were turned off in 2024 and will continue to be used. SPU works closely with public safety and emergency management agencies on these emergency notification systems.
The Tolt Dam Early Warning System sirens were turned off on March 27, 2024, and remain off for now. This is because the City of Seattle is in the process of reviewing a third-party report about the Tolt Dam Early Warning System and working with our partner agencies on the best path forward.
The City of Carnation and surrounding areas benefit from the presence of the dam in three major ways: South Fork Tolt River flood management, environmental benefits, and economic benefits.
Here are the details:
- Flood management of the South Fork Tolt River. The Tolt Dam and Reservoir are managed in a way that reduces flood potential from the South Fork Tolt River, which flows through the City of Carnation. Large rainstorms are often able to be stored in the reservoir behind the dam and released after the storms have passed, which results in less river flooding downstream during storms.
- Environmental benefit. The dam and reservoir are managed to result in beneficial river flows released down the South Fork Tolt River year-round. In drought years, minimum river flows are still released from water stored behind the dam. Compare that to nearby rivers without dams, where river flows can drastically minimize in dry summers, or even dry up entirely – a significant impact to fish and other elements of the natural environment.
- Economic benefit. The approximately half a million people served drinking water from the Tolt Dam and Reservoir are part of the economic engine of the Puget Sound region. Drinking water service allows those half a million people to live in the area, visit the City of Carnation, visit Remlinger Farms, shop in the City of Carnation, and otherwise contribute to the local economy of which the City of Carnation is a part.
Seattle Public Utilities has affirmed its ongoing engagement with Carnation officials and emphasized its commitment to dam safety and regional emergency preparedness as it continues reviewing the Tolt Dam Early Warning System. SPU also noted that the decision to turn off the siren system in March 2024 was made in consultation with the City of Carnation, which agreed to the pause to allow time for review of the third-party study.
Comments
They need to turn the sirens back on. PERIOD
The city of Carnation benefits from the dam ? Nothing could be farther from the truth. They don’t get one drop of that water until there underneath it . Figure it out Seattle
What about all of the people who live in areas that don’t have wireless service. The hills surrounding Carnation cause dead spots on wireless service. Most of the dead spots are located in area that would be affected first in the event of a failure. Guess what town had the better outcome in Texas, the one with a working early detection system. Seattle reaps the benefits while Carnation is told the same thing by SPU we are working on it.