LSAW Fall Seminar - November 7th - Bellingham, WA

Join us for a full day of learning and networking at the LSAW Fall Seminar. Sessions include Tideland Boundaries, Determining Base Flood Elevations, and Floodplain Project Management, led by expert speakers Dorrel Dickson, PLS, and Erynn O. Sullivan, CFM.

Registration: $149 members, $249 non-members
IMPORTANT: Participants will need to bring a FULLY CHARGED laptop (or a tablet with a mouse), pencil, scratch paper and scale, a calculator.

Click here to download program and registration form

Click here to register online

Location: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Bellingham
4260 Mitchell Way Bellingham, WA 98226

Reservations by phone: 360-746-6844 ask for ‘LSAW – Land Surveyors’ of Washington’ group rate.
Or, Click Here to Reserve a room online: LSAW – Holiday Inn & Suites Bellingham Booking Link

Morning Session (8:00 am - 12:00 pm): Tidelands: A Deeper Dive
Speaker: Dorrel Dickson, PLS

Washington is one of only eight PLSS (Public Land Survey System) states with tidal aquatic boundaries—a distinction that demands an added layer of specialized knowledge from local Professional Land Surveyors. Unlike our inland counterparts, we must navigate this unique intersection of natural forces, legal doctrine, and historical precedent. In this session, “Tidelands: A Deeper Dive,” we’ll take a focused look at several nuanced elements of Tideland Boundaries. Together, we’ll examine questions such as:

- What is a Harbor Line? Why do we need them? Can they be changed?
- Why do property boundaries follow meander lines prior to statehood, but follow mean high tide subsequently?
- Why were some tidelands in Washington sold by metes and bounds, while others conveyed using meander line calls?

Let’s plumb these questions through the lens of history, landmark court cases, state regulations, and real-world boundary examples.
Ongoing research sparked by these very questions keeps this topic ever-current as we apply our profession to a complex and dynamic earth. I believe this seminar will be insightful, enriching, and directly applicable to the work of Washington Land Surveyors navigating a complex coastal landscape.

Afternoon Session (1:00 pm - 5:00 pm): How to Detemine the Base Flood Elevation for Project Site AND Project Management in Regulatory Floodplain
Speaker: Erynn O. Sullivan, CFM

Learn how to calculate a Base Flood Elevation by interpolation in riverine floodplains, and how to check it against the published Flood Insurance Study; learn when it is appropriate to determine the BFE using only the FIRM. Both “paper” and digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps will be used, since not all Communities in Washington have new FIRMs. Resources for finding documents to support your determination will be provided, as well as tips for creating reviewer-friendly Elevation Certificates which support your determination.

Get familiar with the process of floodplain development: Rules and Regulations; what your Reviewer expects from you; what your client and their Architect need from you to get project approval with minimum plan revisions. Learn common pitfalls for floodplain projects and how to avoid them.