April 6, 2023 |
Photo – North Platte River – Bigfoot99 file photo
Higher than average snowpack has prompted concerns about spring flooding. Carbon County’s Office of Emergency Management wants towns to have a flooding declaration at the ready.
Late February, Winter Storm Olive dumped upwards of four feet of snow on our area. Wind gusts of 80 miles per hour created huge snow drifts. A similar scenario played out again this week, driving up snowpack. Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman has drafted an emergency declaration, opening the door for state assistance. The declaration allows local communities to request resources from the state.
Snowpack, in the mountains that feed the North Platte River, are 135% above the median. When the spring melt begins, flooding is looking more likely. During the March 21st Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Layman presented a draft memorandum of understanding, or MOU, he would like to have municipalities sign before flooding becomes an issue.
Layman explained the MOU would allow towns to decide for themselves when flooding becomes an emergency. With a signed flood declaration, the county would be able to step in and help. If more help is needed, a county flood declaration would allow a request for outside assistance. Everything would move up the chain of command.
Layman said he wants towns that are prone to flooding, such as Elk Mountain, Encampment, and Saratoga, to have a flood declaration ready to go before it might be needed.
At Tuesday’s Saratoga town council meeting, council members were presented with Layman’s flooding resolution. Town Clerk Marie Christen read from Layman’s prewritten flood declaration, Resolution 2023-11. The document gives examples of what constitutes a flood emergency.
Reading from the resolution, Christen said if flooding conditions cause or are likely to cause damage to property, disrupt utility service, or endanger Saratoga residents, Mayor Chuck Davis can sign the document to request help from the county.
Mayor Davis said he attended several meetings with Layman where the flood declaration was explained to him. He said signing the resolution would set two actions into motion. One would give the town access to a county owned automated sandbag filling machine and the other would allow the county to request outside resources.
Mayor Davis said the resolution was about moving assistance requests up the chain of command, ensuring the town and county are not held liable for cost or damage to outside equipment.
Councilman Jerry Fluty asked if the resolution came with any hidden stipulations or specific criteria the town needed to meet. He asked if the resolution gives the county leverage or control over the town during an emergency event. Mayor Davis said no. The town will be in complete control of how emergency resources are used.
Mayor Davis said the resolution won’t force the town to rely solely on the county for help. If necessary, the town could create an MOU with local contractors for specific forms of assistance. Mayor Davis said in the event of an emergency flood declaration, Layman would set up a command post in town and the council would tell him what resources they need, such as more sandbags.
Councilman Jerry Fluty said the town has used sandbags in the past. He said they are costly and temporary solutions.
Mayor Davis said sandbags prevent flooding. Councilman Jerry Fluty said a large flood would be required to cause damage to the town. He suggested the town allow the flood water to drain into the sewers instead. Mayor Davis said Water and Sewer Supervisor Chuck McVey was concerned a flood could overwhelm the town’s storm water system.
Councilman Jerry Fluty asked if anything was being done about Boozer Creek. The man-made tributary is showing signs of erosion which could allow water to surge into the North Platte River during a flood, potentially damaging structures along the riverbank. During the 2011 flood, Army National Guard servicemen dropped sandbags along Boozer Creek, but a decade of weathering has reduced the barrier’s effectiveness. Saratoga-Encampment-Rawlins Conservation District Manager Joe Parsons is spearheading efforts to alter the flow of Boozer Creek to reduce the flood risk. Mayor Davis said he’s spoken to Parsons who told him the project was still at least a year away from starting.
Mayor Davis said he and Councilman Mike Cooley have spoken to the Army Corps of Engineers about creating a plan to handle the potential spring flood. The mayor said he was told it would take up to 60 days before a plan could be put into place, but the Corps of Engineers could still be called out in the event of an emergency.
Mayor Davis said he’s also spoken to Natural Resources Conservation Service, or NRCS, Conservationist Mark Shirley. The mayor said Shirley informed him of a government funding opportunity to repair the riverbanks, but he wasn’t sure how much money would be available due to disasters in other states.
Mayor Davis asked for a motion to approve Resolution 2023-11. Councilman Cooley motioned, and Councilwoman Kathy Beck seconded. The motion carried.
