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Santaquin outlines NRCS-backed debris-basin projects; city to buy land once approvals finish
Summary
Council heard details on two NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) projects that add debris basins on the East Bench and a larger mouth-of-canyon project; staff said final federal concurrence is pending before property acquisition and construction.
City staff told the Santaquin City Council that two Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) projects to reduce mountain storm flows are progressing and will require city land purchases and financing once federal concurrence is received.
Staff said the planned cross‑bench debris-basin package includes five basins on the East Bench; design is complete and the city is awaiting final NRCS national-level approval. NRCS has awarded approximately $9.1 million for that package; the city has about $2 million set aside to purchase needed property. Staff said design funds from NRCS already used total about $1 million.
A second project at the mouth of a canyon — a larger dam and conveyance project with county sponsorship and city cosponsorship — has about $12.6 million set aside but staff said that amount represents roughly 65% of earlier cost estimates and additional funds likely will be required. The larger mouth-of-canyon project would raise a dam by about 13 feet and route high flows to the reservoir; staff described modeled peak flows in the hundreds of cubic feet per second for the event the project is designed to mitigate.
Why this matters: Staff said land acquisitions and interagency approvals remain the gating items. If federal concurrence with final designs arrives this fall, staff said they hope to begin property purchases and construction in the coming months; otherwise, the timeline will slip.
Next steps and costs: Staff told council members that the city will continue to coordinate with NRCS and county partners, update cost estimates, and identify the city’s share of funding for the mouth-of-canyon component, which may require several million dollars depending on total cost and dam-safety funding participation.
Council reaction: Councilmembers asked about timing and cost exposure; staff emphasized that the NRCS funding and prior planning put the city in a stronger position but that final federal concurrence is the immediate prerequisite for land purchases and the start of construction.
