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StreamDynamics asks Grant County to approve no‑cost stormwater harvesting pilot on county land
Summary
Van Clovier of StreamDynamics requested permission to install rainwater‑harvesting features on a county median and adjacent property at no county cost, funded by the New Mexico Environment Department; commissioners asked about cost, erosion control and timeline, and staff said the board will consider a decision at the next meeting.
Van (Val) Clovier of StreamDynamics presented a grant‑funded pilot to capture persistent seepage and small storm flows near the county admin complex and an adjacent median, saying the work would be at no cost to the county if the commission grants permission to work on county land.
Clovier described the problem: a sump pump and a natural spring continually wet an asphalt edge and the small but constant flow is degrading the pavement. “It’s not very much water,” he said, “but this small amount of water, since it’s coming all the time, is creating a problem for the street.” The proposal would redirect that flow into planted basins, use curb adjustments and shallow swales to convey water into vegetated infiltration areas, and coordinate in‑kind help from the Town of Silver City and a signed landscape agreement with the New Mexico Department of Transportation for right‑of‑way work.
Cost and timing: Clovier estimated his organization’s site work at a few thousand dollars per project, with Town of Silver City providing equipment and labor in kind; he said the pilot would take a few days and grant funds must be spent by the end of the October grant cycle. When asked, he said the harvest volume is small but continuous and the project aims mainly to prevent ongoing pavement saturation and erosion.
Questions and concerns from commissioners and the county manager focused on erosion control, how sediment would be managed, whether modifications to asphalt or curb lines are required, and whether adjacent private property agreements were needed. Clovier described erosion‑management measures (designed swales, sediment transport controls and post‑installation monitoring during the first storms) and said the project team will fine‑tune the design after initial storm events.
What’s next: the item is on the agenda for the regular July 9 board meeting for formal consideration. Clovier requested permission to proceed with work on Grand County (county) land contingent on final approvals; no binding county expenditure was requested.
