The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law in November of 2021. The bipartisan federal package established funding to address aging infrastructure, broadband connectivity, water quality, electrification, and transportation nationwide.
Many local projects in Pierce County may be eligible for funding under the act, including the removal of the Chambers Creek Dam. Chambers Creek runs between Lakewood and University Place, and an obsolete dam in its estuary into the Puget Sound is a threat to salmon populations.
On Wednesday, May 4, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, Rep. Derek Kilmer, Nisqually Tribal Chairman Willie Frank III, Puyallup Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud, and Lakewood City Councilmember Don Anderson visited the Chambers Creek Dam. They held a press event nearby to discuss the new legislation and its expected local benefits.
“This project will address a century-old industrial site by removing an obsolete dam and restoring the tidelands and shoreline of Chambers Bay. It combines environmental remediation, replacement of an aging bridge, and traffic safety enhancements… At the same time, it enhances the efforts to restore salmon fisheries in the area. It will provide living-wage jobs and improve recreational opportunities. Thank you so much, Representative Strickland, for being a champion of this project, and thank you, Madam Speaker, for joining us to see what Pierce County can do to address aging infrastructure and improve the environment when we all work together.“
– Don Anderson, Lakewood City Councilmember
The City of Lakewood works closely with tribes, agencies, and legislators at all levels to form effective partnerships and advance infrastructure projects of regional benefit.
A live stream of the event was posted to Rep. Marilyn Strickland’s Facebook page.