The South Fork Tolt River Project is a 58,000 acre-feet reservoir located in northeast King County that provides drinking water to 30 to 40% of 1.6 million people in Seattle/King County and also is used for electrical generation. The community of Carnation is located 17 river miles downstream of the dam. Because access to the reservoir is restricted, most people do not give much thought to the hazards potentially posed by the dam. Under federal laws, the dam owner/operator is required to hold a functional exercise testing Seattle’s Emergency Action Plan every five years.

Learn how the exercise planning team created an exercise that did “more than check a box” – it engaged both the dam owners, responders, downstream communities, and regional governments to address technical issues and build stronger working relationships.

What Will the Audience Learn:

Participants in the exercise gained valuable insights into decision-making under pressure, resource allocation, and interagency collaboration. The scenario provided an opportunity to test crisis response strategies in a controlled environment, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. Many participants noted that the complexity and escalating nature of the injects helped them better understand how their agency would respond to a real-world emergency, emphasizing the need for clear communication and efficient coordination during critical incidents.Additionally, the exercise underscored the importance of building relationships between agencies. Participants appreciated the collaborative discussions and knowledge-sharing opportunities, which not only enhanced their preparedness but also strengthened their resilience against future crises. The ability to adapt and reorganize groups to reflect real-world conditions was another key takeaway, reinforcing the importance of flexibility in emergency management.

Course Level: Intermediate

About the Presenters

Rachael Brooks is a Dam Safety Engineer for Seattle City Light. Rachael helps bridge the gap between dam safety engineering and the community-focused sector to create realistic exercises that challenge dam operations staff, emergency managers, and local governments in a fun and informative environment.

Eric Autry has decades of emergency response and emergency management experience ranging from firefighting to environmental incident response. He is the Emergency Management Training and Exercise Coordinator at Seattle Public Utilities. Eric specializes in designing large-scale exercises that balance technical utility and responder needs with the application of emergency management best practices and principles.

Greg Bawden is the Emergency Manager with Eastside Fire and Rescue, which serves seven cities and four fire districts in King County, including areas downstream of the Tolt Dam. He previously worked as a firefighter and as an environmental scientist responding to hazardous material incidents around the country.