The Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to authorize staff to perform a partial restoration of Smelter Creek where the watercourse crossed private property in the Runestraugh neighborhood after the Sept. 25, 2025 flood.

Why it matters: County staff said the Sept. 25 event was unusually intense and was exacerbated by recent burn scars in the watershed. The board's action funds immediate work to restore flow capacity and to reduce the risk of additional homes and county roads being inundated before a long-term engineered solution can be designed and funded.

What the board approved: The board directed staff to clear and restore portions of the channel as needed where the stream has migrated onto private lots, to use county crews and rented equipment as required, and to proceed at a total county commitment not to exceed $350,000. The motion included direction that staff emphasize to residents that private property owners remain responsible for any maintenance obligations recorded on their property deeds or subdivision documents.

Staff findings and long-term context: Courtney Walker, Douglas County stormwater program manager, presented drone footage and on-site photos showing widespread overbank flows and extensive deposition of sediment and debris. Walker and County Engineer Jeremy Hutchings reviewed the county's Runestraugh area drainage master plan, which identifies a long-term, engineered set of detention basins, channel rework and culvert replacements estimated at roughly $16 million. Walker said that even a substantial long-term project would require multi-year permitting and significant funding and that some critical segments lie on federal land (BLM), which adds time to permitting and environmental review.

County manager Jennifer Davidson told the board staff had weighed federal grant options in recent years and that prior cost-benefit calculations had not supported a full federal-funded mitigation project; Davidson said new information about actual home damage in the recent event changed the underlying facts but that the long-term solution would still require large capital funding sources.

Public comments: More than a dozen residents described flood damage, lost personal property and ongoing cleanup. John McDermott described trailers and boats carried through yards and said, "something is better than nothing" to prevent repeated damage; Sandy Howard said residents once had a deeper channel that protected homes and urged restoration; Rachel Christiansen and others pointed to upstream burned areas and urged more federal coordination. Several residents stressed the need for a durable long-term solution while asking for immediate mitigation before winter storms.

Legal and maintenance questions: Commissioners and counsel discussed who bears ongoing maintenance responsibility for mapped drainage easements. Assistant District Attorney AJ Hames advised that many older drainage easements were recorded without specific county maintenance acceptance; some later maps and CC&R documents expressly assign maintenance duties to homeowners or associations. County staff said they have provided written license agreements and notices to some property owners when the county previously performed emergency work.

What the vote does and does not do: The board's direction provides funding and staff authorization for a limited, field-fitted channel restoration to reduce immediate risk and improve conveyance in places where the creek has been heavily silted. It does not authorize a countywide assumption of private maintenance obligations, nor does it commit the county to the multi-million-dollar, long-term engineered plan. Staff will pursue federal and state agency coordination (including BLM and the Army Corps) and will present further options for larger capital projects when feasible.

Next steps: Staff will develop a short timeline and notify the Runestraugh neighborhood of planned work and timing, coordinate with federal agencies when possible, and prepare a public follow-up that clarifies private maintenance responsibilities and offers guidance for residents seeking support or permits.

Commissioners who voted: motion carried unanimously among those present.