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Gila County to spend up to $12 million near term to deliver NRCS flood repairs; $26.5M NRCS award covers major projects
Summary
County staff said NRCS approved about $25–26.5 million in construction funding (plus ~$4.1M technical assistance) for emergency watershed projects; the county’s share is roughly $8.7M, FEMA/DEMA items add about $2.4M cash‑flow needs, and staff warned the 220‑day NRCS timeline requires rapid invoicing and likely short‑term financing.
County engineering and recovery staff told the board that Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection funding was approved March 16 and that the award brings roughly $25–26.5 million in construction funding plus nearly $4.1 million in technical assistance to Gila County.
"NRCS funding approved March 16, and the amount of funding that was approved is very significant," a county presenter told the board, and later characterized the construction funding as “26 and a half million dollars.” Staff said the NRCS assistance includes both construction and engineering/project‑administration support.
County staff said the full package requires a county match: the county share without the hospital flood wall was given as $8,767,004. Staff also described FEMA/DEMA projects tied to the September and October storms with a combined cash‑flow need the county estimated at about $2.4 million because FEMA reimbursement timing is uncertain. Summing NRCS and FEMA near‑term needs, staff described an overall near‑term cash requirement of about $12 million (county share, FEMA cash‑flow, and contingency/professional services).
To meet NRCS’s Emergency Watershed Protection timetable (staff said the 220‑day clock started March 16), the county has engaged a CMAR (construction manager at risk) contract with Tiffany Construction and a design firm (JE Fuller) to work concurrently on design and construction. Staff emphasized weekly schedule updates, guaranteed maximum price agreements, and a goal to finish heavy channel work before July 4 to avoid monsoon season interruptions.
Key NRCS projects identified in the briefing include work at Copper Hills (multiple locations), Ice House Canyon, Russell Gulch (about 3,000 feet of channel repairs), a hospital flood wall (about 930 feet), and the 6 Shooter project, each at varying costs and with engineering milestones in April–May for 60–100% design. Staff said some tasks already incurred roughly $500,000 in county recovery spending that will be accounted for in project cost reports and that NRCS has provided $4 million for engineering and administration which will relieve future county design expenses.
On debris, testing of sediment piles showed many materials are clean while some household debris contains asbestos; staff said the county plans targeted household debris removal and to reuse clean sediment onsite or in NRCS projects rather than costly hauling. That reuse reduced previously estimated removal costs for Russell Gulch.
Staff presented financing options including bond authority discussed earlier; they said a bond up to about $18.3 million had been proposed as a way to smooth invoices and preserve general‑fund operations while projects progress.
Because the board declared a state of emergency, staff noted the chairman may sign contracts promptly to keep schedules, with full board ratification to follow. No board votes were taken in the work session; staff will return with guaranteed maximum price packets and ratification items as design‑to‑construction milestones are reached.
