ITEM TITLE:
title
Approval of an Amendment to a Cooperative Agreement with USGS for Maintenance and Operation of Stream Gages in the City
body
SUBMITTED BY: Kate Huber, Community Development Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: $52,000
Unencumbered Balance: $52,000
Funding Source: 001-550-43200
RECOMMENDATION:
rec
Approve the amendment to the cooperative agreement with USGS for the maintenance and operation of stream gages in the City.
end
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
In 2021, the City entered into a new five-year cooperative agreement with United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the operations and maintenance of stream gages on the Lowe River and the Valdez Glacier Stream. The stream gages have been critically useful in monitoring water levels during high flow events of the Lowe River and of the Valdez Glacier Stream. This amendment will allow for the placement of additional stream gages on Robe River and Mineral Creek.
Each gage sends live data to a website that updates every 15 minutes and sends alarms to City staff when the stream levels rise above a specified threshold. This is immediate, relevant data for both individuals that live in the floodplain and emergency flood responders. This data is also useful for future flood modeling and planning.
Under the current agreement the City contributes $17,000 annually for each of the two gages. Under the proposed amendment the City will contribute $15,000 annually for each of the four gages for the remaining two years of the agreement. The total increased cost for remaining two years of the agreement will be $52,000. The increased cost for the additional gages has been included in the 2024 Community Development Department Budget and 2025 proposed budget.
Attached to this agenda statement is the proposed amendment and the existing agreement with USGS committing to the annual monitoring and maintenance costs of the gages. Also attached is a USGS cost evaluation document that explains the costs associat...
Click here for full text