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Residents ask River Heights to help pay to remove silt from private pond; council weighs legal obligation
Summary
Susan Roberts told the council her private pond—dug to four feet in 2003—has filled with silt to about one foot and serves as a settling basin for stormwater; she requested city assistance for removal, estimating costs at $15,000–$25,000. City staff said the pond is not formally part of the stormwater system and recommended attorney review before committing funds.
Susan Roberts asked the River Heights City Council on July 21 to consider financial help removing years of silt from a private pond she and her husband built in 2003. "The pond was originally dug at four feet," Roberts said, and over 23 years silt accumulation has reduced depth to roughly one foot, harming fish and wildlife. She said some of the silt likely comes from city stormwater and noted the pond has historically acted as a silt‑settling basin that prevents material from flowing directly into Spring Creek.
Mrs. Roberts gave the council a contractor estimate of $15,000 to $25,000 to remove about three feet of silt. She and her husband said a prior $10,000 allocation from the stormwater fund had been approved years earlier; Councilmember Mark Malmstrom and Public Works Director Clayten Nelson said that money was used for boxes at the west end of 600 South to route stormwater through the Cobblestone development, and that the Roberts pond was not formally part of the city's stormwater program.
Public Works Director Clayten Nelson explained the legal and administrative limits: the pipe into the pond had approvals from ProLog Irrigation Company and Providence during development but not a city authorization that would make the pond part of the municipal stormwater system. Nelson said, "If the city chose to use the Roberts pond (or any other area on private property) for stormwater retention then there would need to be an agreement stating the homeowner's responsibility for all the cleaning, annual inspections, and submittal of a report to the city that all the requirements had been met," adding that use of private retention requires formal terms and reporting to the state.
Councilmembers suggested asking the city attorney to review potential liability and obligations before any funding decision. Councilmember Steve Roberts recused himself from deliberations on the request. One idea proposed was to incrementally raise the stormwater fee (a $1 increase was floated) to fund future dredging cycles; no commitment or vote was taken.
