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State and FEMA funds to cover Birch Creek Dam No.2 planning and design; county will pass funds to irrigation company
Summary
The Division of Water Resources told commissioners it secured FEMA High Hazard grant funding (65%) and a state dam safety grant (35%) to fund planning and design for Birch Creek Dam No.2; Rich County will act as fiscal agent to pass funds to Woodruff Irrigation Company and approved an initial $10,000 archaeology payment tied to the grant.
A Division of Water Resources engineer told the Rich County Commission that federal and state grants are available to fund planning and design work for Birch Creek Dam No.2 and that Rich County will serve as the fiscal agent for pass‑through funding to the Woodruff Irrigation Company.
Ben Merritt, an engineer with the Division of Water Resources, said FEMA’s High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) grant will cover roughly 65% of planning and design work; a complementary state dam safety grant is expected to cover the remaining 35% of planning/design costs. The planning effort includes archaeological review, geotechnical borings, hydrologic/hydraulic modeling and design work to correct identified deficiencies. Construction would be a later project and require additional funding commitments.
Merritt said the division has awarded an initial amount that will cover an archaeological study to meet federal environmental/historic preservation requirements. "They will begin that work this month," he said. Project invoicing will flow to the irrigation company, then to the county, and then the Division will reimburse the county under the grant agreement. Commissioners approved entering the grant agreement and authorized the initial contract payment related to archaeology.
Woodruff Irrigation representatives said they had previously been told a loan might be required, and welcomed clarification that the planning/design phase is grant‑funded and does not require a county loan. The irrigation company may have a construction cost share if the project proceeds to construction, and Merritt said the state dam safety grant program can cover most of construction costs (state at times covers up to 90% depending on program rules) with a remaining company share; federal funds may lower that local share further.
Next steps: county staff will execute the pass‑through agreement, process initial invoices for archaeology, and return to the commission with any required contract amendments as the larger planning/design scope is authorized under the federal/state grants.
