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County approves Kimley‑Horn contract to document reduced Pine Nut Creek design flow; allocates up to $75,000 from Mueller funds
Summary
Douglas County approved a $51,750 contract with Kimley‑Horn and allocated up to $75,000 from Project 20R006 on April 17 to study and apply to FEMA for a reduced 1%‑storm design flow on Pine Nut Creek.
Douglas County commissioners voted unanimously on April 17 to allocate up to $75,000 from Project 20R006 (Mueller Parkway) and to approve a $51,750 professional services contract with Kimley‑Horn and Associates to study and prepare a FEMA application to document a reduced design flow for Pine Nut Creek.
What staff said: County Engineer Jeremy Hutchings told the board the Pine Nut Creek watershed produces an adopted 1%‑storm flow of about 5,150 cubic feet per second (CFS) and a storage volume of roughly 6,000 acre‑feet. Preliminary engineering suggested an approximate 18% reduction in the design flow might be justifiable after additional study — a reduction Hutchings said could lower required pond and conveyance sizes and reduce future infrastructure costs.
Contract and funding: The board approved allocation of up to $75,000 from the Mueller Parkway project account (Project 20R006) to cover the consultant contract, FEMA application fees (estimated at roughly $10,000) and a contingency. The professional services contract with Kimley‑Horn was approved for $51,750. The motion authorized the county manager to sign the contract and approve change orders up to 10% of the contract amount as needed.
Why it matters: If the technical study and FEMA process support a reduced design flow, the county could lower the geometric and cost requirements for detention basins, culverts and channel conveyances in the Pine Nut drainage. Hutchings said lower flows would reduce pond sizes and make detention and conveyance projects less expensive and easier to site.
Public comment and next steps: Park Ranch and other speakers urged a comprehensive approach that also examines adjacent watersheds (notably Buckeye Wash), and the board and staff noted that flow reduction is only one piece of a broader flood‑mitigation strategy that will include upstream detention, future conveyance design and project sequencing. Staff will work with Kimley‑Horn on the data submission and FEMA CLOMR process and report back to the board on study results and next steps.
Ending: The unanimous vote authorizes the contract and the allocation; staff said the study will proceed and that the county will submit a formal FEMA application if the consultant’s analysis supports a revised design flow.
