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Brookings authorizes amendment to advance Ferry Creek Dam permitting; removal remains preferred option
Summary
The council authorized Amendment No. 1 to OWRD agreement WRD26020 to expand permitting work for Ferry Creek (Fairy Creek) Dam removal. Staff said the dam is high-hazard and estimated removal costs exceed the 2023 estimate of $1,540,000; FEMA funding and a 25% local match were discussed.
The Brookings City Council voted June 22 to authorize an amendment to the city’s agreement with the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) to advance permitting for the Ferry Creek (referred to in materials as Fairy Creek) Dam removal project.
City staff said the earthen embankment dam, built around 1913 and reconstructed mid-century, is no longer connected to the municipal water system and has been designated by OWRD as a high-hazard dam in unsatisfactory condition. A 2023 design and management plan estimated eventual construction removal costs at approximately $1,540,000, but staff cautioned actual costs will likely be higher because of inflation and final site conditions.
The amendment increases both the OWRD reimbursement and the city match, replaces the statement of work with a revised exhibit, and expands deliverables needed to secure federal, state and county permit approvals. Staff said the city intends to pursue FEMA funding for the removal phase once permitting work is complete; if awarded, FEMA funding would likely require a local cost match currently anticipated at about 25 percent.
Council members asked why costs were being amended before construction bidding. Staff responded that permitting work began in 2023 and permitting requirements and consultant costs have increased over time, and that the amendment is intended to authorize and fund the permitting phase so the city can move the project forward.
A council member moved to authorize the city manager to execute Amendment No. 1 to agreement WRD26020 with the Oregon Water Resources Department for Ferry Creek Dam permitting work. The motion was seconded, called, and carried.
Staff said removal was identified as the preferred path because of dam condition, seismic risk, fish-passage impacts and the fact the structure no longer serves the municipal water system.
