Fleshman Creek Flood Mitigation and Restoration Project
Fleshman Creek Application to FEMA
Fleshman Comprehensive Management Plan
Description of Fleshman Improvements(FONSI)
The purpose of this project is to restore a two mile reach of Fleshman Creek, a tributary of the Yellowstone River near Livingston, Montana. Specific goals to prevent or eliminate severe and unacceptable damage to this natural resource include: 1) to mitigate risks to property and life associated with flooding hazards; 2) to restore Fleshman Creek aquatic and riparian habitat; 3) to improve Fleshman Creek water quality and quantity; and, 4) to enhance Fleshman Creek an important major tributary to the Yellowstone River, as a community resource and public amenity. In keeping with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries program operation plan, this project would achieve the goal of “restoring and enhancing degraded habitat."
In the fall of 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers performed a detailed hydrologic analysis of the Fleshman Creek watershed and determined that the 100 year discharge of 856 cfs is significantly higher than the capacity of many culverts through which the creek flows throughout the City of Livingston. When Park County and the City of Livingston began discussing the proposed Fleshman Creek culvert replacement project with FEMA and Montana Disaster Emergency Services representatives, they were encouraged to take a holistic approach to restoring Fleshman Creek to a more natural and flood resistant state; to not only have the undersized culverts replaced but to make other improvements to the watershed as well. The 2 mile stretch of Fleshman Creek running through the City of Livingston faces the following challenges: 1) alterations to the discharge regime and stream channel have created degraded habitat which includes migration barriers for fish, sedimentation resulting in loss of fish spawning and macroinvertebrate habitat, locally unstable bank conditions and unnaturally wide channel geo- metries resulting in zones of shallow and slow stream flows; 2) the loss of the riparian zone has resulted in degraded water quality from non-point source pollution, bank instability, loss of macro-invertebrate and migratory bird habitat and decreased cover and food sources for fish from lack of low overhanging vegetation; and, 3) the urban runoff from discharge pipes has degraded water quality and habitat conditions. It is expected that achievement of the restoration goals detailed above, in addition to replacing the undersized culverts throughout the City of Livingston, will improve the channel’s ability to convey floodwater and resist degradation during flood events as well as improve aquatic and riparian habitat.
PROJECT UPDATES
Expand All | Collapse All- 31 MAY 2011
Finalization and distribution of the engineering Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) is temporarily on hold as the County requests clarification from FEMA concerning some items in the current scope of work.
- 18-MAY-2011
The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) is now being considered by the Commissioners. After a RFP is approved, it will be distributed to engineering firms and statements of qualifications for the final design work will be received and evaluated. This process should take about one month. - 07-OCT-2010
On Wednesday, October 3rd after listening to several public comments and staff presentations, the Commissioners voted unanimously to support the Fleshman Creek Flood Mitigation and Stream Restoration Project. In voting for the project, the Commissiners expressed a concern that currently there has been no concerted effort to involve affected property-owners in the project discussions and that no construction easement agreements had yet been obtained. The other concern was that there could be a cost overrun in the project resulting in the County potentially being held accountable for more than the $300,000 it has currently pledged to the product. After lengthy discussion on these issues it was decided that the principal project funder, FEMA, would allow the County to modify or cancel the project if either all the necessary consents could not be obtained or if a material cost-overrun was projected upon the completion the the final project design. The Commissioners voted to approve the project conditional upon the Commitment of Funds agreement contain language incorporating thse assurances.
The next steps in the process is to retain a qualified engineering design firm to do the final project design, and to start the process of educating and involving the affected property-owners with a goal of obtaining their consent for temporary construction easements.
- 10-SEP-2010
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On September 8, 2010 the Commissioners met for two hours to discuss the status of the Fleshman Creek Flood Mitigation and Restoraton Project. Present at the meeting were Commissioners Malone, Durgan and Taylor, Todd Wester of the Livingston School District, Oasis Environmental engineer Mike Cox, Board Secretary John Mueller, Deputy Civil County Attorney Shannan Piccolo, and Community Development Director Philip Fletcher. The discussion centered around (1) issues relating to obtaining access and construction consents from adjacent landowners, (2) the status of obtaining and formalizing funding and in-kind commitments, (3) status and problems relating to the Beaverhead County - Dillon restoration project, and the feasibility of phasing final design and construction activities. No decisions or votes were taken during the meeting but there was general agreement that another meeting and discussion will be forthcoming soon.
- 3-JUL-2010
Park County to Receive $2.28 Million Flood Mitigation Grant Award
HELENA-The State of Montana, on behalf of the Federal Emergency Agency (FEMA), is presenting Park County $2.28 million for the Fleshman Creek Flood Mitigation and restoration project on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 in Livingston, Montana. The FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant was developed and submitted in 2009 during the national PDM 2009 competition and was chosen for further review from 528 other grant applications submitted from all across the nation.
Objectives for this project include reducing the flood hazard, improving water quality and quantity, restoring Fleshman Creek’s aquatic and riparian habitat and enhancing the creek as a community resource and public amenity.
“Both FEMA and the state are very excited about this project. It is one of the first to use mitigation grants in a holistic approach that benefits not only people, but wildlife” said Kent Atwood, the State of Montana Hazard Mitigation Officer. “It will also create new wetland areas and that is always a tremendous plus to a community and a watershed” said Atwood."
The project has two years to be completed.
Goals and objectives of this activity:The project has the following five goals: (1) mitigate risks to property and life associated with flooding hazards (specifically increase Fleshman Creek's level of protection or ability to convey flood flows up to the 25-year event at a minimum), (2) improve Fleshman Creek water quality, (3) increase water quantity in Fleshman Creek, (4) restore Fleshman Creek aquatic and riparian habitat, and (5) enhance Fleshman Creek as a community resource and public amenity.
Need for this activity:
Park County based its need to carry out the Fleshman Creek flood mitigation project on the following factors: historic Fleshman Creek flooding events and related financial damages, annual maintenance costs incurred by Park County and the City of Livingston to mitigate Fleshman Creek flooding events, hydrologic analysis data of Fleshman Creek, degraded water quality in Fleshman Creek, insufficient water quantity in Fleshman Creek, and degraded riparian and aquatic habitat within the Fleshman Creek corridor. Another significant consideration is that the project reach of Fleshman Creek traverses through heavily developed residential, commercial, and public properties.
Problems this activity will address:
The project will result in an increased level of protection. The new level of protection will be the 25-year event, at a minimum. In order to gain this increased level of protection, undersized culverts will be replaced with hydraulic structures that will convey a minimum 25-year flood event in Fleshman Creek (estimated 525 cfs). More detailed hydraulic analysis may determine that conveyance of lower probability flood events (50 year) is feasible. The Fleshman Creek channel will be restored and improved to increase flood conveyance, improve instream habitat and function, and improve water quality through the implementation of several stormwater Best Management Practices. The project will considerably reduce annual flood risks to adjacent property owners and will significantly reduce expenses incurred by Park County to carryout flood mitigation maintenance activities. In addition, the project will restore Fleshman Creek to a condition that will provide Livingston residents and visitors with a unique public amenity.
Methodology for implementing this activity:
Park County proposes to mitigate risks to property and life caused by Fleshman Creek flooding events in a heavily developed area of Livingston. Park County is proposing to not only replace undersized culverts in the project area but to restore the creek to a more natural and flood resistant state. The methodology for the project approach was suggested to Park County by USACE and Montana Disaster and Emergency Services. In January 2008, Park County facilitated a full and open, qualifications-based selection procedure to procure environmental engineering services for the project. The scope of services requested included (1) preliminary and final design and engineering services and (2) construction management services.
- 29-JUN-2010
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S.D.A. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited is the latest foundation to provide funding to support the Fleshman Creek Urban Restoration Project. The Bring Back the Natives program seeks projects interested in restoring, protecting and enhancing native populations of sensitive or listed aquatic species, especially on lands on or adjacent to federal agency lands. Funding for the Bring Back the Natives program is administered through NFWF from federal agencies cooperating to support this program. Since 1991, Bring Back the Natives has supported 279 projects and benefited over 120 species, 29 of which are federally listed as threatened or endangered. This was one of the most competitive years for the Bring Back the Natives program. Initially 70 pre-proposals were received of which 55 were invited to submit full proposals. Over $3.5 million was requested in the full proposal submittals, 26 of which were funded for a total funding level of $1.5 million. Park County will receive $53,075 to support efforts for the Fleshman Creek Urban Restoration Project.
- 22-JUN-2010
Officials from the Montana Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Conservation District, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Trout Unlimited, the Livingston School Department, County Commissioner Jim Durgan and the Park County Community Development Department conducted a site visit to view the work that has been done on restoring Fleshman creek and the work that will be done under the next phase of the project.
- 17-JUN-2010
On 16-JUN-2010 the Park County Board of Commissioners, after public discussion at an open meeting, authorized the Fleshman Creek Restoration Project to go forward by committing $300,000 of County local cash ($47,000) and in-kind ($255,000) match. The next step in the process is for County staff and local engineering and grant administration consultants to meet and develop a detailed project scope of services and timeline. Local landowners affected by the project will also be contacted with specific information on the project.
On June 21st, a tour of Fleshman Creek will be conducted and will include, officials from the Fisheries Division Habitat Restoration Program, MT Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Department, Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout Restoration, and County staff. Also in attendance will be members of the Future Fisheries Program Review Panel. The tour is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. at Sacajawa Park.