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Lancaster County unveils BRIC watershed study identifying $29.5 million in priority projects
Summary
County engineers presented results of a FEMA BRIC-funded watershed study that screened 4,000+ sites across eight watersheds, producing 25 high-priority capital-improvement worksheets with estimated construction costs totaling about $29.5 million and a database to guide future project funding and design.
County Engineer Pam Dingman and project staff presented the results of Lancaster County’s 2022 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant project, which inventoryied more than 4,000 potential sites across eight rural watersheds and prioritized 25 capital improvement projects with total estimated construction costs of roughly $29.5 million.
The presentation, given during the Board of Commissioners’ June 18 staff meeting, outlined a multi-phase methodology that used GIS, LiDAR, soil and structure data, and on-site visits to score and rank sites. Jena Vogt, Special Projects Engineer, summarized the process: “We evaluated over 4,000 individual sites, applied 13 critical variables and refined that list through multiple iterations to identify the top 25 projects,” and noted the team prepared detailed CIP worksheets for each prioritized location.
Why it matters: county engineering staff said the study is intended as a long-term planning and prioritization tool to reduce roadway and bridge degradation, address stream stability and erosion, and support grant applications for construction funding. Dingman said the database is adaptable and will be maintained to guide design work and future grant submittals.
Project scope and costs: the team reported the top 25 projects include both infrastructure repairs (bridges, culverts) and stream-stabilization measures. Exhibit materials attached to the presentation list the total estimated construction cost for the 25 priority projects as $29,518,000, with major watershed allocations including Oak Creek (~$13,473,000) and South Salt Creek (~$12,150,000). Project types identified in the CIP range from bridge repair and replacement to ditch-erosion encroachment projects and small culvert replacements.
Funding and next steps: the BRIC grant that funded the study is FEMA-administered with an approximate 75/25 federal-local cost share; the grant-funded deliverable is a planning database and CIP worksheets intended to create “shovel-ready” candidates for additional FEMA or other grants. Vogt and project manager Alex Roth said site bundling and preliminary cost estimates will support future applications. The grant timeline provided in the exhibit indicates the grant period ends in August 2026.
Board reaction and context: Commissioners praised the collaborative, data-driven approach. Dingman emphasized the study’s role in improving stewardship of taxpayer-funded infrastructure by addressing root causes of degradation rather than simply replacing assets.
The engineering staff said the database and CIP worksheets will continue to be refined, and that they will pursue funding opportunities that match project readiness and the BRIC 75/25 funding model.
