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NORFOLK – The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District Board of Directors voted on July 27 to move forward and sign a contract with Houston Engineering to incorporate the Battle Creek Hydraulic Analysis Alternative into the Battle Creek Watershed & Flood Prevention Operations Plan.
At the July 13 Lower Elkhorn NRD Whole Committee meeting, board members were given a presentation from Mike Sotak of Houston Engineering that included a variety of flood mitigation options for Battle Creek.
The options included: a dam with detention, a dam with a diversion channel, a dam with a levee, a detention north of town and a levee only.
Due to the smaller environmental footprint, lower cost and eligibility to meet the Natural Resources Conservation Service grant funding requirements, board members chose the option of a single dam and levee to bring forward for consideration at the July 27 meeting.
The vote to sign the contract with Houston Engineering for the option of a single dam and levee allows the almost 90 percent completed WFPO plan to move forward towards completion.
The total cost of this option is approximately $50 million and will require less of an out-of-pocket expense for Lower Elkhorn NRD taxpayers.
Houston Engineering and JEO Consulting Group will now work together to complete the remainder of the Battle Creek WFPO plan.
“This vote is a positive step forward for the Battle Creek WFPO project,” said Brian Bruckner, Lower Elkhorn NRD interim general manager. “The single dam/levee option will allow us to have a better finished product and is the most cost-effective alternative.”
Board members also approved a payment of $8,894.55 to Houston Engineering for its professional services related to the presentation of information at the July 13 meeting of the Lower Elkhorn NRD Committee of the Whole.
In other action, Lower Elkhorn NRD staff were directed to begin advertising a request for proposals for the development of a North Fork Elkhorn River Watershed Plan and Environmental Document for the WFPO program.
The target of this project is to leverage assistance to the towns of Osmond and Pierce. While Osmond has interest in a levee of its own, the Pierce levee needs to be brought up to the necessary requirements for certification.
Chairman Roger Gustafson chose five board members to participate on an Evaluation and Selection Committee to select a candidate for the project: Jay Reikofski, Scott Clausen, Chad Korth, Jerry Allemann and Melissa Temple.
Proposals for the project will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Aug. 21.
Board members awarded the Willow Creek Reservoir Outlet Channel Repair Project near Pierce to Cech Excavating LLC of rural Clarkson for a total of $84,950.
There were three contractors who submitted bids for the project. Lower Elkhorn NRD staff were estimating that the total cost of the project would be approximately $150,000. The contractor has a completion date of March 15 next year.
The board of directors meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk and on Facebook Live.
