US government giving $44 million in federal money to fix badly weakened dam south of Seattle

US gov’t giving $44M to fix weakened Seattle dam

SEATTLE — The federal government has agreed to spend $44 million to fix the badly weakened Howard Hanson Dam on the Green River south of Seattle.

Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray announced Thursday she had included money for the repairs in a supplemental appropriations bill.

A reservoir wall at the flood control dam was severely weakened by heavy rains last year. That greatly increased the flood risk downstream in the heavily developed Green River Valley, where about 170,000 people live.

Murray says the economic effects of a flood in the valley would be devastating. Gov. Chris Gregoire (greg-WAH’) and other Washington business and political leaders went to Washington, D.C., last week to push for the money.