Channel Migration Zones – FbD Lunch & Learn Series

Join us on December 5th, from 12 – 1pm to hear about how Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) delineations support integrated floodplain management. Heather Rogers, Fluvial Geomorphologist at the Washington State Department of Ecology, will share updates on statewide resources to support channel migration zone delineations across Washington. Jessica Hamill, Community Floodplain Solutions Manager at Snohomish County Surface Water Management, will provide a case study on how a CMZ delineation influences integrated floodplain management on the Lower Skykomish River, informing decisions on how to balance needs for flood reduction, habitat restoration, and agricultural viability.

The principal goal of delineating the Channel Migration Zone—the area where a stream or river is susceptible to channel erosion—is to predict areas at risk for future channel erosion due to fluvial processes. CMZ delineations help reduce risks to communities by guiding development along river systems away from such areas. Additionally, CMZ delineations can guide management strategies aimed at reducing loss of critical aquatic and riparian habitats, helping assure that fluvial process are accommodated and that the river landscape is not permanently degraded or disconnected by development.

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The FbD Lunch & Learn Series is open to everyone. The topics of the monthly Lunch & Learn Series are informed by the Floodplains by Design network of practitioners and partners.

You can view all the past Lunch & Learn recordings and the associated slidedecks on our Culture & Capacity Action Group page here.