ITEM TITLE:
Discussion Item: Corps of Engineers Robe Lake Feasibility Study Update & Path Forward
SUBMITTED BY: Nathan Duval, Assistant City Manager
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive & File
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed their feasibility study for the Robe Lake Habitat Restoration project. Through the course of the project a significant issue brought up was the potential for flooding in the Robe River and Corbin areas.
A solution to help resolve the community concerns would be to install larger fish passage culverts or a bridge where the Robe River crosses the Richardson Highway near the cemetery. The habitat restoration program used for this project has limitations for both cost and scope. A bridge or culverts are outside of both criteria for the USACE program for this project.
The Corps can’t move forward with the final report until they have a recommendation. Their suggested recommendation is to terminate the project. They don’t want to complete a project that has negative public sentiment; until the flooding concerns can be resolved the project is at a standstill.
After conversations with the USACE and VFDA we believe the best path forward is to collect more stream data for the area and work on additional funding opportunities to pay for upgraded culverts or a bridge. The timeline for both of those endeavors is outside the USACE program timelines. USACE would terminate the project but keep it “on the shelf” to be able to pick back up later once issues were resolved.
Aside from the flood concerns the project is feasible and would provide increased habitat in the Robe Lake ecosystem.
City and VFDA staff will provide additional details regarding USACE conversations and options for a path forward. Council consensus is requested for any path forward and said consensus will be conveyed to the Corps of Engineers.