County applies for grant to cover design costs of flood protection project

On Aug. 25, Mesa County approved an application for a $344,167 state grant to help design a flood protection project along Douglas Wash in Clifton.

In July, Mesa County announced the Douglas Wash Project was selected to receive $869,000 in federal funding to design two detention basins north of Interstate 70. The county committed $344,167 from Engineering Capital Funds to provide the required match and cover anticipated costs beyond the federal allocation.

If awarded, the Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise grant would cover the matching costs for which Mesa County would otherwise be responsible, eliminating the need for an additional local match. Combined, the state and federal grants would provide more than $1.2 million for the design of the project. This saves local, county money for other critical infrastructure needs. 

Douglas Wash is a natural drainage east of 33 Road in Clifton. It carries runoff from a 6.1-square-mile area extending from the Book Cliffs to the Colorado River and passes beneath Interstate 70. The existing drainage structures often get overwhelmed during major storms. 

Past flooding has damaged homes, basements, yards, farmland and crops. Heavy runoff also can threaten roads and other infrastructure.

The proposed design project would include two detention basins and a structure to redirect some of the runoff. The basins would temporarily hold stormwater, reducing the water, mud and debris moving downstream. The project would help reduce flood risks for more than 55 properties. 

The grants would fund design only, not construction. The work includes engineering plans, environmental permitting, coordination with dam safety officials, property owners and utility providers and public meetings. 

Completed plans would allow Mesa County to seek construction funding as grants become available. Construction is not funded or scheduled.