A Community-Based Response to Flooding: Jay Gordon

This Pacific Northwest Extension publication profiles Jay Gordon, a sixth-generation dairy farmer in Elma, Washington, and policy leader with the Washington State Dairy Federation. The case study describes how repeated severe flooding in the Chehalis Valley, especially the 2007 flood, affected farms, dairies, infrastructure, and long-term confidence in farming in the basin. It then explains how Gordon and other community leaders worked through the Chehalis Basin Partnership, Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, and Governor’s Work Group to build consensus around flood damage reduction and aquatic species habitat restoration. The publication emphasizes lessons that may help other communities respond to climate-related water risks: patient consensus-building, high-quality research partnerships, trusted facilitation, and enough capacity to keep farmers and other stakeholders engaged. Sidebars provide additional science context on Chehalis flooding, Pacific Northwest climate projections, snowpack change, and projected flood risk. The publication is part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Case Study Series: Increasing Resilience Among Farmers in the Pacific Northwest.