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City hires Houston Engineering for Lake Mitchell 50% PMF assessment, breach analysis
Summary
The council approved a $98,413 scope of work with Houston Engineering to perform a 50% probable maximum flood assessment, breach analysis and emergency‑plan updates required by the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Lake Mitchell spillway project.
The Mitchell City Council approved an agreement with Houston Engineering to complete a 50% probable maximum flood (PMF) assessment and breach analysis and to update the city’s emergency preparedness plan for Lake Mitchell.
City staff said the work is a requirement of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources in order for the city to proceed with planned spillway modifications. The scope includes hydrology, spillway capacity evaluation, dam routing and mapping, breach analysis, emergency preparedness plan updates and—if needed—an incremental damage analysis.
Staff projected the contract amount at $98,413 and recommended council approval. Mike Sotak, representing Houston Engineering remotely, answered technical questions about the study approach; staff said the majority of the work is desktop analysis and that the firm would begin as soon as practical. "The way I understand this is…you look at it as a sunny‑day failure scenario and then at the 50% probable maximum flood to see inundation and next steps," staff explained.
Council approved the scope by motion. Staff said if the PMF analysis requires additional work (incremental damage analysis) that task would be scoped and billed only if necessary; the contract as presented was a net‑zero change to other current lake accounting within the budget changes discussed during the meeting.
