ITEM TITLE:
Approval of Cooperative Agreement with United States Geological Survey for Annual Operations & Maintenance of a Stream Gage on the Lowe River and Valdez Glacier Stream
SUBMITTED BY: AnnMarie Lain
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: $8,499.99 Prorated for 2016
Unencumbered Balance: $141,633
Funding Source: 001-5500-43200
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve Cooperative Agreement with United States Geological Survey for Annual Operations & Maintenance of a Stream Gage on the Lower River and Valdez Glacier Stream
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
Since 2014 the City has held a joint funding agreement with the USGS for the operations and maintenance of a stream gage on the Lowe River. This agreement ends on September 30th, 2016. The stream gage is critically useful in monitoring water levels during potential flooding events of the Alpine Woods area. The gage streams live data to a website that updates every 15 minutes and sends alarms when the stream levels rise above a specified threshold.
The Lowe River stream gage was an essential step toward a comprehensive flood protection program for Alpine Woods. The annual portion of the City’s half of the costs is $17,000. This was included in the 2016 Budget and has been paid to the USGS.
This is immediate, relevant data to both individuals that live in the floodplain as well as emergency flood responders. Given the magnitude of the last few outburst events on the Valdez Glacier Stream, another gage has been added to the cooperative agreement. The Council approved funding for new gages in the mid-year budget (Valdez Glacier Stream and the Valdez Glacier Dammed Lake). However, the Alaska Geological & Geophysical Survey has been conducting research on the Valdez Glacier, the Valdez Glacier Dammed Lake and the Valdez Glacier Lake. They have requested the City enter into an agreement with the AGGS for a gage on the Valdez Glacier Dammed Lake. That issue is currently being worked by staff and will be brought back to the Council when complete information is in hand. In the meantime, the proposed agreement with the USGS only includes the Lowe River Gage and the new Valdez Glacier Stream Gage. The prorated share of the City’s cost for the new gage on the Valdez Glacier Stream is $8,499.99. For the remainder of the agreement (2017-2020) the annual City share for the Valdez Glacier Stream Gage will also be $17,000. Once the agreement takes effect the City will contribute $34,000 annually for both gages. This amount has been included in the 2017 Budget request.
Attached to this agenda statement is a draft agreement the City will sign (if Council approves this item) with the USGS authorizing them to install the new stream gage and committing the annual monitoring and maintenance funds. The USGS agrees to pay half the cost and the City will pay the other half of the cost. Also attached is a USGS cost evaluation document that explains where the costs come from to commit and maintain stream gages.
It is staff’s recommendation that City Council approve funding for the USGS stream gage on the Lowe River and Valdez Glacier Stream.