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Flood commission reports $54M in capital projects; Dragonfly Channel design done but funding needed
Summary
The county flood commission told commissioners it is tracking 24 capital projects totaling about $54 million; key work on the Dragonfly Channel will protect an estimated 1,800 homes but needs additional funding to complete later phases.
John Gwyneth, flood commission staff, told commissioners March 4 that the county is managing a multi‑year program of flood mitigation work — 24 capital projects the commission currently tracks with a total value of about $54 million.
Gwyneth said the spreadsheet the commission updates every few months lists projects across planning, design and construction stages and shows nine completed projects since 2017 with roughly $15 million in spending. He highlighted downstream and conveyance projects completed in recent years and said the list is not exhaustive but is the commission’s current working inventory.
Key items discussed included Dragonfly Channel, an approximately five‑mile channel where phases 1, 2a and 2b are under construction and funded at roughly $12 million. Gwyneth said the design work has been completed through phase 5 but phase 5 lacks identified funding. An engineer’s estimate provided a couple of years ago put full project cost at approximately $30 million; the commission has secured about $13 million to date and expects additional Water Trust Board funding to push construction toward phase 4. Gwyneth said the project and related East Mesa work collectively protect a large number of homes; his most recent count for homes protected by the overall program was roughly 1,800.
Gwyneth played project photos and videos for commissioners and noted completed ponds and channels — Vado Lily Pond (a roughly $2 million project funded about half by ARPA and half by flood commission funds), Abeyta Pond, Elks Channel and others — and described grade control structures used to reduce erosion across long drops in elevation.
Commissioners asked scheduling and funding questions. Gwyneth said he expects the Dragonfly work to continue for another two to three years under the current funding plan and that the commission will seek grants and consistent funding sources for later phases. He said project materials, engineering estimates and the master drainage plans are publicly available for review.
Ending: The flood commission asked commissioners to consider continued funding and to direct any follow‑up questions to staff so the commission can detail grant timelines and construction phasing.
