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Sheridan County to apply for hazard-mitigation grants, seeks funding for turbidity sensors after Elk Fire
Summary
County commissioners approved applying for hazard-mitigation grants on behalf of local utilities and the conservation district and heard plans to install three turbidity sensors on county stream gauges to monitor post-fire erosion.
Sheridan County commissioners approved a motion to let the county apply for federal hazard-mitigation grants on behalf of local partners and discussed a separate, related application to buy turbidity sensors for existing stream gauges to monitor post-Elk Fire erosion.
The action will allow SAWS (the local water system) and the Sheridan County Conservation District to apply for mitigation grants even though they did not complete an adoption step on the county hazard-mitigation plan, county staff said. The county will be the applicant and administrator; the agencies seeking the grants will provide the required 25% match.
Carrie, representing the Sheridan County Conservation District, told the commission she had ‘‘missed adopting the hazardous mitigation plan’’ and only learned she could not apply when she attempted to submit a grant. She said the turbidity-sensor project would use existing state engineer stream gauges and would ‘‘assist with helping to notify towns or downstream municipal intakes on elevated levels of turbidity that they may need to consider upfront some treatment obligations.’’
County staff estimated sensor hardware at about $7,000 per unit and said installation and monitoring would be provided by the state engineer’s office and supported by the Department of Environmental Quality. The county plans three sensors at existing gauges on Wolf Creek, Big Goose (In The Canyon) and the Tongue River. Staff said the DEQ and the state engineer would handle installation, monitoring and routine maintenance, and that the county would request a maintenance budget as part of the grant.
The commission voted in favor of county application and administration of the grants; the motion passed by voice vote. Commissioners did not record individual roll-call votes in the meeting record.
County emergency-management staff and local partners said the sensors are intended both to monitor post-fire erosion risk and to provide upstream warning to downstream users so municipalities can prepare for water-treatment needs.
No award, contract or implementation timeline was finalized at the meeting; staff said grant applications and any maintenance commitments would be described in future materials to the commission.
