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Board approves three Flood Control District contracts for detention basins in Kingman
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Summary
Mohave County’s Flood Control District awarded three construction contracts — Mohave Rattlesnake, Crestwood and Riata basins — funded largely by WIFA/grants with local match; supervisors debated the projects’ dual role in flood mitigation and groundwater recharge but ultimately approved all three awards.
The Mohave County Board, sitting as the Flood Control District board on March 16, approved construction contracts for three detention basins in the Kingman area — the Mohave Rattlesnake Basin, Crestwood Basin and Riata Basin.
Director Holtry (speaker 18) described the basin program as a multi-phase effort first directed by the board in 2023 to address flooding and water-table recharge in the Hualapai Aquifer. He said the Mojave Rattlesnake site (the largest) was purchased from EF Family Farms and the first phase before the board includes two basins; staff told the board the property can provide substantial infiltration (staff cited a potential of about 100,000 acre-feet per year on the largest site and roughly 700,000 acre-feet per year if all planned basins are built out).
The Mohave Rattlesnake construction contract (IFB 2020304) was awarded to Perco Rock (Cedar City) for approximately $1.1 million plus a 15% contingency, funded largely with WIFA and other grant funds with a local match. The Crestwood award (IFB 2006-035) was also to Perco Rock, for $762,295.90 with a 15% contingency. The Riata Basin contract (IFB 2026-036) was awarded to Lewis Equipment Services of Kingman for the amount in the backup materials; the board recorded an estimated local match contribution in the backup.
Supervisors asked about property purchase costs, sources of match funding, whether awarding these contracts commits the county to future phases, and the relative cost-effectiveness of recharge via basins versus alternatives (for example, requiring rainwater catchment for new construction). Some supervisors said the basins primarily serve flood control benefits and the recharge is a secondary benefit; others warned about using local flood-control funds for projects that may primarily benefit downstream incorporated areas such as the City of Kingman. Staff and the county manager said the projects were designed with dual benefits in mind and that award of these phases does not legally obligate the board to additional phases.
After discussion, the board approved the awards and authorized the contracts to proceed. Staff said work on other basin projects is underway and that match and grant constraints required accelerated procurement and design to meet ARPA or WIFA-related deadlines.
The decisions commit grant-funded construction work to begin; supervisors asked staff to continue reporting on phase sequencing, funding match, and performance monitoring of infiltration and downstream flood mitigation.
