Consideration and Approval of Ratifying the Grant Agreement:  Ratifying the Grant Agreement in the amount of $679,118 between the City of Flagstaff and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Emergency Watershed Protection Program for the Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization Project.

1. Ratify the Grant Agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the amount of $679,118; and
2. Direct the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.

This ratifies the City Manager's acceptance of the NRCS Notice of Grant and Agreement Award which provided funding in the amount of $679,118 for the Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization Project.

The Grant Agreement is for a total project cost of $679,118 ($521,588 Federal share / $157,529.50 City share). The award includes Construction and Technical Assistance costs.

The project is budgeted in the Stormwater Fund in account number 206-08-385-6337-0-4442 for FY 2023-2024. 

This ratifies the City Manager acceptance of the NRSC Notice of Grant and Agreement Award which will provide Emergency Watershed Protection funds to provide protection from flooding, restore the hydraulic capacity to the natural environment to the maximum extent practical, and reduce threats to life and property.

Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives

• High Performing Governance - Enhance the organization's fiscal stability & increase efficiency & effectiveness
• Environmental Stewardship - Promote, protect & enhance a healthy sustainable environment & its natural resources

Yes. On August 23, 2022, Council approved a similar grant agreement for the Schultz Creek Sediment and Flood Detention Project.

1. Ratify and accept the Grant Agreement which will provide funding to complete the Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project; or
2. Not ratify and not accept the Grant Agreement and the funds will be returned. The Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project will be canceled.

Beginning on June 12, 2022, the Pipeline Fire severely burned approximately 26,532 acres of ponderosa pine, grass and brush in an area north of Flagstaff, which negatively impacted soil structure and water retention within the designated Flagstaff area watershed footprint. The resulting burn scar created a severe post-fire flooding environment and risk potential to the community.
The Pipeline Fire burned over 1,000 acres of the Schultz Creek watershed in June 2022, mostly in severe burn conditions. The expected post-fire flood potential has increased by three orders of magnitude with preliminary modeling indicating near 900 cubic feet per second of devastating flood flows from a 2 inch rain event in 45 minutes (roughly a 4% annual exceedance storm) through portions of north Flagstaff with eventual impacts to downtown Flagstaff.

This proposal addresses observed channel scour, incision, and sediment and debris sourcing in several private properties within the Schultz Creek channel in City limits. This project will greatly reduce sediment and debris sourcing in a vulnerable stretch of channel, protect critical water line infrastructure, and reduce the threat of channel incision that would concentrate flood flows. Benefits of the Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project will include reduced flood threats for several thousand homes, critical infrastructure such as Highway 180, and the historically disadvantaged Southside community as well as protection of critical domestic water supply infrastructure. This Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project will mitigate the sediment and debris flows that enter neighborhoods and will be a tremendous benefit to the community.

A federal assistance request was submitted on April 11, 2022 to NRCS.  This Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project was wait-listed due to lack of funds with the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. A request for more information was sent by NRCS after the new federal fiscal year, a request was submitted by the City for EWP funding for this project.  Based on a site visit with NRCS and City staff, NRCS requested submission of a Damage Survey Report (DSR) that was submitted on shortly thereafter. 

Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project implementation of measures will mitigate sediment and water flows in neighborhoods within Schultz Creek drainage channel and the downstream regional Rio de Flag watercourse in order to reduce flooding risk and subsequent threats to life and property. Planned measures include: installation of channel stabilization in the natural channel to reduce sediment and debris impacts to greater than 1500 residences and downtown Flagstaff. Channel stabilization will also reduce the risk of a water pipeline break in an existing crossing of the channel.

This Grant Agreement will fund $679,118 for the Schultz Creek Channel Stabilization project which will help reduce / relieve imminent threats to life and property cause by post wildfire flooding.