Oklahoma City trustees approve resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC funding for Overholser Dam rehabilitation

A consultant gave trustees of the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust an update on proposed rehabilitation work at Overholser Dam and the board voted to approve a resolution to pursue FEMA BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant funding.

Friese and Nichols’ representative said the estimated cost for the project is "56 and a half million dollars" and described a scope that would remove the dam’s existing floodgates, increase structural stability and repair deteriorated concrete. The consultant said the city’s application to FEMA is in process and noted an application due date of April 18, while a new BRIC notice of funding opportunity was expected soon.

Why it matters: The dam’s concrete spillway and gate systems date to the 1920s and have shown corrosion, coating loss and metal loss, according to the presentation. Trustees were told the work is intended to bring the structure into compliance with current federal and state hydraulic and dam safety criteria.

Most important details

- Scope. The consultant described permanently removing all mechanical floodgates and replacing them with fixed labyrinth weirs (V-shaped notch weirs) to create a maintenance-free spillway; adding concrete ballast in hollow sections to increase mass and stability (a method previously used in a 2004 project); repairing spalls and cracks; and raising a portion of Overholser Drive west of the spillway so the roadway meets current hydraulic elevation criteria.

- Historic and aesthetic concerns. A trustee urged staff to evaluate aesthetic impacts and the value of preserving historical appearance, noting the dam’s century-old features and asking the consultant to look for ways to minimize visual changes while meeting safety requirements.

- Flooding and design standard discussion. In response to trustee questions, the consultant said Overholser Drive has not been inundated historically and described prior work done in 2004 at the center overflow spillway. The consultant also said design must meet the elevation of the 75% probable maximum flood (PMF) with freeboard per state and federal criteria; because the low point of the dam is west of the spillway, that elevation currently sits above the road and requires raising the roadway or otherwise mitigating overtopping risk.

- Grant process. The consultant explained FEMA BRIC is nationally competitive and that the city’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) would review the draft before upload to FEMA’s portal. Jennifer Wasinger of the consulting firm was present to answer detailed grant questions, the presentation said.

Trustees’ action and other votes at the meeting

- Minutes approval (February 25): motion approved; vote recorded as "motion carries" in the meeting transcript; mover/second not named in the record.

- Consent docket (7 items): motion approved; mover/second not named in the record; transcript records "The motion carries." The docket included consultant selections, contract awards, change orders and an easement.

- BRIC resolution: trustees made and seconded a motion to approve the resolution to pursue BRIC funding; the transcript records the motion carried. The meeting minutes do not name the mover or second or provide a roll-call tally.

Context and next steps

Friese and Nichols’ representative said the application is being prepared and OEM review would be part of the submittal process. If the city proceeds, additional design work and funding negotiations would follow; the presentation noted prior ballast work from 2004 as a precedent for the stabilization approach.

The consultant and trustees discussed the historic character of the dam, the relative merits of retaining visible hoists and other architectural features, and the necessity of raising Overholser Drive to meet hydraulic design rules. Trustees asked staff and the consultant to continue refining the design and cost details as the BRIC application moves forward.

Ending

The board approved the resolution to pursue the FEMA BRIC grant and the presentation concluded with staff and consultants continuing work on design details and the application timeline.