In search of a stormwater master plan for Carson Valley's 'sponge'

CARSON VALLEY, Nev.

by Sheila Gardner

sgardner@recordcourier.com

With average yearly precipitation in Douglas County at 8 inches, a stormwater master plan might not be on the top of everybody's "to do" list.

That's about to change.

Douglas County Engineer Mahmood Azad, at the direction of county commissioners, is laying the groundwork for the Carson Valley Stormwater Master Plan.

Azad made a presentation to commissioners earlier this month, and set a timeline with final recommendations to the board in July 2010.

"We have plans for transportation, for housing, the last piece of the puzzle is storm drainage," Azad said. "About three years ago, county commissioners recognized in the strategic plan that a stormwater master plan was necessary and directed staff to do it. We're taking that direction now."

A stormwater master plan will be a full analysis of the total major and minor stormwater system including flood flow routing and mitigation.

"Carson Valley is the 'sponge' that provides downstream protection," Azad said. "Whatever we do up here has an impact across our borders."

A major component of the plan is a stream of another kind - money.

"A sustainable financial stream must be built into the plan," he said. "How are we going to fund these projects?"

In July, Azad will put out requests for proposals to hire a consultant to create the plan, expected to cost $200,000.

The money is coming from the Carson Water Subconservancy District, Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, the towns and general improvement districts and county funds.

Of that overall cost, $73,000 has been secured from the subconservancy district.

"This consultant will have to show us they have done multiple plans. Only a few consulting firms will qualify. What happens quite often is that this gets interpreted as a stormwater management plan, a subset of a master plan. This is a master plan," he said.

The consultant will get to work putting together a 20-year capital improvement projects list.

"That is why identifying a sustainable revenue stream is so important," he said. "Without the stream, the plan will sit on the shelf. What drives the project is if we've got money in the bank."

Once the plan is adopted, the county plans to hire a superintendent and a grant writer to secure funding.

"The way to do this is to use somebody else's money to do the big expensive projects," he said. "Our challenge is to find a superintendent who's got a passion for this and we can just turn him or her loose. That's the recipe for success: money and passion."

Grants are one way to pay for the projects, a second is setting up a stormwater utility.

"It's no different than a water utility," Azad said. "Everybody in the Valley who owns a house will pay a fee, maybe $3 a month per household. Commercial ventures may pay a little more."

Azad said comparable monthly fee structures are $3 in Carson City,

See Stormwater on page 8

$3-$5 in Sparks and $3.75 in Reno and Washoe County.

Azad said he is proponent of a flat fee.

"It's very fair. It works for everybody," he said.

Azad said only 10-15 percent of the process has to do with flooding.

"The rest is putting together an everyday, stormwater pipe system for when we do get a little bit of rain. Also, it tells the next developer coming in to build something at location 'X' what they have to do to route the water away.

"It's a matter of a community taking care of its needs. One of its needs is to route stormwater away so it doesn't become stagnant, mosquito-infested or hazardous."

Carson Valley has to play catch-up.

"First is acquiring the appropriate equipment to maintain this. Most likely, the road department will do the initial maintenance," he said.

For example, last summer Toler Lane was closed for two weeks at Orchard Road after a ditch culvert crumbled.

"If we'd had a stormwater utility intact, the superintendent would have been able to identify problems at Toler Road before it collapsed and before it became a safety issue," Azad said.

"These are the kinds of things where we can become proactive rather than reactive. Right now, we are totally reactive because we have no money or equipment to be proactive."

Projects could range from $5,000-$10,000 to clean out culverts to $5 million to increase culverts under highway bridges.

"Say it's a $5 million project. If we can come up with $500,000 of our own money, our grant writer can start looking for partners for the rest of the money. It's really essential to produce enough money to go secure grants to do these projects."

Carson Valley's stormwater system has unique elements like irrigation ditches, Azad said.

"The farmers and ranchers let us use them. It really could make life difficult for us if they didn't. We need to provide something back to them. It could be something like we'll do the maintenance in the spring, or repair headgates. It would be what the farmers and ranchers want.

"Another part, emotionally speaking, is how open space is preventing flooding for everybody downstream. Again, the farmers and ranchers need to be given incentive to keep that space open," Azad said.