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City seeks up to $600,000 for drainage master plan update to tackle flooding and Lake Tahoe clarity goals
Summary
Staff asked council to ratify a $200,000 grant application and to authorize soliciting consultants for a drainage master plan update (estimated $400,000–$600,000 total). Plan would prioritize water‑quality projects, areawide treatment facilities and neighborhood flood relief to meet rising Tahoe TMDL credit requirements.
City engineers told the City Council that a new drainage master plan update is needed to prioritize projects that reduce runoff, improve water quality, and inform annual road rehabilitation projects.
Senior civil engineer Briana Greenlaw said the city was awarded 654 lake‑clarity credits this past reporting year but will be required to document 800 credits in the coming year — a substantial increase that will require more water‑quality projects and area treatment analyses. The update would combine advanced hydrologic and 2D flood modeling, neighborhood outreach, conceptual plans, cost estimates, and a prioritized project list intended to help the city compete for grant funding.
Greenlaw estimated modeling and master planning work at roughly $400,000 and said staff submitted a $200,000 application to the State Water Resources Control Board (Clean Water Act 205J) to help fund areawide facility modeling; if that grant is successful, the total local investment would be smaller. Council ratified submission of the $200,000 grant application and directed staff to prepare a request for proposals to engage a consultant once funds are secured.
Council members asked staff to ensure the plan includes financing options for implementation, equity of neighborhood project distribution, and coordination with TRPA, the California Tahoe Conservancy and federal land managers. Staff said areawide treatment facilities could also create regulatory incentives for housing development under TRPA’s Phase 2 housing amendment if modeling demonstrates water‑quality benefits and connection mechanisms for private parcels are established.
Staff will return with consultant scopes and funding recommendations; projects identified by the plan will be prioritized for grant submittals and incorporated into the city’s capital improvement planning.
