Homeowners near Lake Stevens worried about increasing erosion: 'I don't sleep at night'



SNOHOMISH COUNTY - Homeowners near Lake Stevens say they’re in a race against time. The Pilchuck River is washing away chunks of their hillside. They worry if nothing is done, homes could soon be in jeopardy.

Mark Blubaugh took drone footage of his backyard two years ago. His view now is very different. He estimates around 80 feet of land has been washed away by the Pilchuck River.

“Now we're left with a hill, just a hill,” he says. “All the property is gone.”

He says every time there's a storm and the river rises, he loses more land.  Part of his fence is in the water now.

“It keeps floating away in the river. I've got to dismantle another section of it.”

Blubaugh isn’t the only one watching the hillside wash away. There are a dozen homes lining the river along 152nd Ave NE, and all the homeowners have noticed the changes.

“I don't sleep at night. That's the truth, I worry about it,” says Stephen Morigeau.

He says if nothing is done, it’s just a matter of time before someone loses their home.

“I’ve lost 35 feet since November. It's coming right up here, it's not going to stop, and it’s not going to go back on its own.”

Last week, Snohomish County gave homeowners approval to make emergency repairs to protect their property. But before they can begin that work, they need to get clearance from the state. Blubaugh says they don’t have time to wade through red tape.

“Everything goes on deaf ears,” he says. “They say they’ll look into it. But every week that goes by, we're losing more land.”

Blubaugh doesn’t want to move, so he’s trying to be patient. He’s also looking at the brighter side of the situation.

“There’s less yard work,” he says laughing. “But I would much rather have the yard work and enjoy the river the way it used to be than the way it is now.”

Homeowners are also in the process of creating their own flood control district and raising money, so they can work on a long term solution to this problem.