Seattle’s Tolt Dam
The City of Seattle owns and operates the Tolt Reservoir and Dam, located 16 miles upstream from Carnation on the South Fork Tolt River. In the unlikely event of a dam failure, water from the reservoir may inundate the City of Carnation.
In the event of a catastrophic failure of the Tolt Dam, the City has a 20-acre pedestrian evacuation site in Tolt Highlands. An evacuation trail starts at the east end of NE 50th St, and the other begins on E Entwistle St going up Tolt Highlands Road. The routes to these trails are marked by pedestrian evacuation signs. The evacuation site is for pedestrian access only, no vehicles. For vehicular evacuation, follow the route signs north on SR 203 to Stillwater Hill Rd.
The Tolt Dam Early Warning System alerts residents in the city of Carnation to evacuate in the unlikely event of a dam failure. Siren testing for the warning system is conducted at noon every Wednesday. The tests involve activating the sirens and playing pre-recorded messages. Seattle Public Utilities is working to replace the aging system.