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Council hears staff estimate of 450 stormwater ponds, leans toward separate dredging grant
Summary
Staff told the council Johns Creek has about 450 stormwater ponds, most under 1 acre, and asked whether dredging should be a standalone program or part of the existing stormwater grant; several council members favored a separate dredging program with upstream corridor prioritization and capture devices to reduce re‑siltation.
Staff presented data at the retreat showing Johns Creek maintains roughly 450 stormwater ponds across the city, of which approximately 397 are smaller than one acre, 54 are between 1 and 5 acres, and six exceed 5 acres. Staff asked whether council wanted dredging activity to be part of the existing residential stormwater grant program or to stand alone as a separate program with its own funding and scoring criteria.
Council members broadly indicated a preference for creating a separate dredging program, citing the need to address root causes of sedimentation rather than relying on repeated maintenance. Several members said scoring should favor corridor‑based work—upstream interventions that address sources of silt—alongside structural measures such as “4‑bay” sediment capture devices that reduce how quickly ponds fill.
One council member cautioned that dredging alone is a “band‑aid” and urged pairing any dredging awards with upstream solutions so ponds do not refill quickly. Staff agreed the scoring should prioritize projects that install or clean catchment structures and that a future spring work session will include more detailed evaluation criteria (maximum award per pond vs award per applicant; prioritization scoring) and cost estimates to inform budget allocation decisions.
Staff noted that the state and federal governments typically consider dredging a maintenance activity and do not generally offer grant programs for dredging, which makes local funding the primary practical option. The council discussed whether the dredging program should live inside the current stormwater grant program or be allocated its own capital/CIP funding; multiple council members preferred a separate program to avoid diluting funds intended for small residential stormwater projects.
Staff will bring a more detailed work‑session presentation in the spring with sample scoring criteria, budget implications, and options for pairing dredging with upstream capital improvements.
