Quinault Indian Nation Taholah Village Relocation
Location of Taholah Village and Relocation Area. Provided by Quinault Indian Nation.
Note: This case study also appears on the Coastal Hazards Risk Reduction Project Mapper
Location Taholah, Washington
Hazard(s) Addressed Tsunami, Sea Level Rise, Flooding
Shoreform Developed shoreline
Adaptation Strategy Upland relocation (ongoing)
Adaptation Action
The Quinault Indian Nation Village of Taholah is located at the mouth of the Quinault River on the Pacific Coast of Washington. The low-lying village is particularly vulnerable to flooding and storm surge, and these hazards are worsening due to sea level rise. In recent years, storms flooded homes and buildings near the beach. Furthermore, Taholah sits within the inundation zone of the tsunami that will be triggered by the next Cascadia subduction zone earthquake.
In 2007, in light of these risks and vulnerabilities, the Quinault Indian Nation decided that the early education and senior programs should relocate to higher ground, as they served the populations most vulnerable to the adverse effects of the threats. Following many community discussions and forums, as well as a vote from the tribal membership, in 2011 the Quinault Indian Nation decided to relocate the village to higher ground. In 2017, the Nation adopted a Master Plan to relocate approximately 650 residents, the K-12 school, the Quinault Cultural Center and Museum, police and fire services, and many other vulnerable community facilities and offices a half-mile upland from the existing village. This upland area is approximately 200 acres in size and is well above the tsunami and flood zones.
The process of aligning resources, developing further plans, and beginning to relocate facilities as has since begun. In May 2021, the Nation opened the new WenɑsɡwəllɑʔɑW (Generations Building), which houses the Senior Program, Head Start and Day Care programs, Management Information Services, and emergency management services. The building successfully moves these essential programs above the tsunami inundation area and serves as a temporary emergency shelter for the community.
The Nation has also started the process of installing a 100 kilowatt solar array to provide electricity for the Generations Building, cleared land for a helipad next to the clinic (which is already located in the upland area), and developed plans for the first upland neighborhood of 60 units. In addition, the Nation is planning to install new water tanks to provide better access to freshwater on the south side of the Quinault River. Currently, freshwater access is at risk of being disrupted in the event of a large earthquake.
Lessons Learned
- The Quinault Indian Nation actively engaged its community members in discussing the idea to relocate as well as the process of developing the Relocation Master Plan. These efforts include specific outreach to different community groups, community surveys, and collaborative design workshops. This helped identify the best paths forward and built support for the difficult but important endeavor. In particular, the goal of moving young students and elderly generations out of the inundation zone received strong support and buy-in from the community.
- Planning for upland relocation has provided the Nation with an opportunity to redevelop in a way that emphasizes the vision of community members. This has meant prioritizing traditional art and culture, sustainability, public health, and walkability. For example, Quinault art was integrated into the design of the Generations Building, while the Master Plan incorporates alternative energy sources and low impact storm water development to limit chemical runoff and protect water quality.
- However, funding for construction of new streets, buildings, and necessary utility infrastructure has been difficult to acquire – Planning grants for upland relocation have been easier to acquire than funds for the actual relocation of village facilities. Relocating is a long process that requires coordination of utility infrastructure such as water, sewer, and power, as well as transportation infrastructure and new buildings. These various aspects are often the purviews of various federal departments, making the relocation process difficult to undertake in piecemeal fashion. In addition, it is difficult to manage multiple funding pots for projects that are interrelated – often, different federal funding sources cannot be combined with one another. Furthermore, these efforts do not always neatly fit into the objectives of existing grant programs. A new, more comprehensive federal approach to help manage and facilitate these efforts is needed, particularly as interest in and urgency for upland relocation continues to increase nationwide.
- Media attention, public interest and community support have been strong. This has helped build momentum to move forward beyond the initial planning efforts to build the Generations Building, clear land for the helipad, and develop the solar array.
Project Team and Partners
Quinault Indian Nation Business Committee, staff and Tribal members
Funding Sources
A grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) funded the preparation of the Master Plan. A subsequent grant from ANA paid for creation of engineering plans for the first residential neighborhood and related infrastructure. A helipad is being funded by COVID relief funds. Department of Energy funds will cover half the costs of the solar array.
Timeframe
The development of the Relocation Master Plan began in spring 2014. The Plan was completed and adopted in 2017. The Generations Building was completed in 2021. Efforts continue to secure funding for additional relocation work.
Contact
Kelsey Moldenke, Senior Planner, Quinault Indian Nation: kmoldenke@quinault.org
Kelvin Frank, Community Development and Planning Manager, kelvin.frank@quinault.org
Read more about this project
Click here to read about the Taholah Village Relocation Master Plan
Click here to read about the WenɑsɡwəllɑʔɑW (Generations Building)
