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Staff: low-water dam project costing rises to roughly $165 million across partners; permit limits timeline to 2030
Summary
City staff updated council on the low-water dam project, noting the Corps 404 permit issued in 2020 requires work to be completed by May 31, 2030; staff cited environmental mitigation, bank stabilization reaches and rising cost estimates (previously $67M in 2015, later $125M, now about $165M across partners).
City staff provided an update on the low-water dam project and recent workshops focused on environmental and mitigation requirements tied to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit.
Staff said the original permit application was submitted in 2015, public comment followed in 2016, a biological mitigation and management plan was completed and the Corps issued the permit in June 2020. Staff reported the permit contains obligations and mitigation measures that the city and partner entities must satisfy and noted the permit includes a required completion date of May 31, 2030. Because the permit contains substantive mitigation and species-related provisions, staff said amending the permit to remove those requirements would reopen a lengthy public-comment process, so the team intends to work within the existing permit conditions.
Workshop discussion covered bank-stabilization reaches (totaling a little over 5,000 linear feet across eight stabilization areas), public-access features (boat launches, kayak put-ins, trails and parking), and an update to cost estimates. Staff said the 2015 project estimate ($67 million) has increased in stages to about $125 million and that combined partner project costs are now estimated near $165 million. The figure represents contributions across the regional partnership (city, INCOG, and the Muscogee Nation). Staff warned that final cost breakdowns will be available in the project cost deliverables due in the near-term and that maintenance and who will operate facilities remain open questions.
The council was told bank-stabilization designs may need updating to reflect 2019 flood conditions and that site-specific engineering remains ongoing. Staff suggested the final design and cost documents will be complete in the coming months and that the council will have opportunities to review final figures and responsibilities for maintenance and operations.
