Farm Dinner to Benefit Efforts to Preserve Nearby Farms

The Snoqualmie River Valley has been hit by some monstrous floods in recent years – and a group of farmers and others think they know why.

In 2005, the Army Corps of Engineers renovated the dam near the town of Snoqualmie, partly in order to alleviate flooding upstream. Farmers and others say the project ended up creating more risk of flooding downstream, and they’ve gone to court to make their case.

That’s an expensive proposition, so to help defray the legal costs, the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance (SVPA) is holding a farm-to-table dinner this Saturday, July 28, at Jubilee Farm in Carnation. And they’ve lined up some superstar local help for the occasion, including chefs from ,  Bellevue’s John Howie Steak, Duvall’s Grange Café and Copperleaf Restaurant in Seattle, along with PCC Natural Markets, Maltby’s Snoqualmie Ice Cream Co. and others.

The dinner will feature ingredients from valley farms, and will also include an auction and live music. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased in advance through the SVPA’s website, which also features maps and directions. Things get underway at 5 p.m.

The SVPA has argued that the Corps did not conduct proper impact studies before undertaking the dam renovation. They filed suit against the Corps and Puget Sound Energy, and after an early ruling went against them, they appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, who agreed to hear the case.

The court issued an opinion in favor of the Corps, much to the surprise of SVPA members who felt they had clearly proven their case. Erick Haakenson, owner of Jubilee and a vocal proponent of the legal action, told the Seattle Weekly he was in a “state of shock” after the ruling. The Alliance has already filed a motion to reconsider, he said.