An Emergency Watershed Protection Program grant through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, will go to repair 18 projects in Escambia, Okaloosa, Calhoun and Jackson counties in Florida that were affected by last April’s rain storm.
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Gainesville, Fla., Feb. 27, 2015– It has been almost a year since a rainstorm tore through the Florida panhandle last April dumping 20-inches of rain in 24 hours, causing flash floods, collapsing roads and leaving 30,000 people without power. Since then city and county officials have waited to see if funds would become available from the Emergency Watershed Protection Program through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help with repairs not covered by other federal and state emergency response programs.
Their patience has paid off. Officials announced this week that a $5.9 million grant will go to repair 18 projects in Escambia, Okaloosa, Calhoun and Jackson counties. The project sponsors are providing 25 percent of the cost in matching funds or in-kind services.
The Emergency Watershed Protection Program alleviates hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural occurrences. Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance, but must be represented by a project sponsor, such as a city, county, conservation district or any Native American tribe or tribal organization.
Aid includes financial and technical assistance to remove debris from streams, protect destabilized stream banks and establish cover on critically eroding lands, repairing conservation practices and purchasing flood plain easements.
The process began when sponsors in Florida requested assistance for the damage created by the April, 2014 storm. NRCS staff visited the sites and determined eligibility based on environmental impacts and economic analysis, prepared reports and requested funding from the NRCS national office. Congress appropriated the funds in December, 2014. Now sponsors will enter into cooperative agreements and start work.
“The assistance available to Escambia County through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program will certainly help with the recovery in some of our hardest hit areas,” said Jack Brown, Escambia County administrator. Escambia County suffered an estimated $90 million in infrastructure damage due to the April 2014 floods.
Approved projects include:
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Crescent Lake, one and a half miles east of the intersection of Mobile Highway and Michigan Avenue; 600-feet north of Michigan Avenue in Pensacola, Fla. Stormwater toppled the 72-acre Crescent Lake embankment causing flooding downstream. Flooding deposited sediment and debris within 1,000 feet of north Michigan Avenue, an arterial five- lane road and threatens to destroy 14 apartments. Repairs are projected to cost $674,531 to fix the breach in the Crescent Lake embankment and install a concrete emergency spillway. Workers will vegetate disturbed areas and remove debris and sediment from the downstream channel to Michigan Avenue to prevent flooding.
Gatewood Ditch, south of Gatewood Drive, 400-feet south of Johnson Avenue in Pensacola Fla.
A stormwater ditch is eroding into a retention pond and an adjacent apartment complex. The debris and sediment from the erosion are reducing the drainage capacity and threatening to destroy downstream drainage structures and further damage Johnson Avenue. Repairs are estimated to cost $350,790 to fill the eroded area and replace 1,300 feet of concrete-lined ditch. Workers will plant vegetation on the side slopes to protect from further erosion and replace the damaged retention pond outlet, stabilizing the stormwater facility outlet.
Olive Road, 1,000 feet southwest of Scenic Highway and Olive Road intersection in Pensacola, Fla. Erosion at the outlet of a concrete-lined waterway carved a gully adjacent to Olive Road 40-foot deep and 100-feet wide that threatens to collapse the westbound lane of Olive Road and undermine four condos at Spanish Trail Villas. Olive Road is a primary east-west arterial with an average daily traffic of 12,800 vehicles. Repairs are estimated at $198,671 to install a concrete box, pipe-drop structure and a water and sediment control basin to stabilize the head of the gully and safely discharge stormwater.
Glyn Brock Gully, 200 feet north of the intersection of Johnson Avenue and Olive Road in Pensacola, Fla. Sediment from the Gatewood ditch and storm debris has reduced capacity in the stream channel, threatening to flood eight downstream homes on Winding Lane and five homes on Cypress Point. Repairs are estimated at $208,000 to remove sediment and debris from the stream channel and ditch and repair the eroded area with rock riprap.
Addison Drive between Addison Drive and Scenic Highway/ Escambia Bay, 300 feet east of Ellyson Field Industrial Park in Pensacola, Fla. A gully is eroding into two homes on Addison Drive. Repairs are estimated to cost $94,000 to remove sediment and debris from the landslide, grade and shape the slope and install a box and pipe structure to convey water to the outlet.
Ten Mile Creek at Pine Forest Road in Pensacola, Fla. (July 2013 and April 2014 storms)
The Ten Mile Creek channel is unstable and widening, threatening to collapse Pine Forest Road Bridge and erode into nine homes and eight townhouses. The total estimate for repairs is $1,377,175. Workers will stabilize the stream channel grade, address gully erosion on the channel sides and repair outlet structures.
Swamphouse Road, on the University of West Florida campus in Pensacola, Fla. Stream bank erosion threatens the road, utilities, the Swamphouse Restaurant and Marina. The storm tore the road in half and trees are falling into the stream channel. The total estimate for repairs is $86,000 to re-grade the side slope, plant sod and remove sediment and debris from the channel.
Scenic Hills Pond, Scenic Hills Thompson Bayou, at Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola Fla.
The storm breached the pond, destroying the primary and auxiliary spillways. Flooding damaged three homes and destroyed an irrigation pump station downstream. Approximately $188,226 is the cost projected to replace the spillways, repair the embankment, install rock riprap and vegetate the disturbed areas.
Scenic Hills Gully, Scenic Hills Thompson Bayou, at Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola, Fla.
Gully erosion damaged the 13th hole at UWF Golf course and threatens further damage to the golf course and two homes. The estimated $171,041 will install rock riprap along 150 feet of the stream bank to prevent further damage.
Carpenter’s Creek, between Davis Highway and Airport Blvd. in Pensacola, Fla. Erosion along bends and debris has choked Carpenter Creek behind a city stormwater pond. Erosion threatens five homes, a shopping center and storm water retention area. The estimated $676,000 will install rock riprap along the bank, remove debris and vegetate disturbed areas.
Peacock Drive 1, Baywoods gully, Pensacola Fla., a fourth mile east-northeast of Spanish Trail Road and Creighton Road. Gully erosion threatens a home. Approximately $149,333 will install a concrete box and pipe structure to prevent further gully erosion and to install riprap at the outlet.
Peacock Drive 2, Baywoods gully, Pensacola Fla. a fourth mile east-northeast of Spanish Trail Road and Creighton Road. Gully erosion threatens home. Approximately $134,666 will install a concrete box and pipe structure to prevent further gully erosion and install riprap at the outlet.
Baywoods Drive Baywoods gully, Pensacola, Fla. a fourth mile east-northeast of Spanish Trail Road and Creighton Road. Gully erosion threatens to destroy one home and is causing slope instability that will affect the adjacent homes. Approximately $293,333 will install rock riprap to prevent further erosion.
OKALOOSA COUNTY
Crestview Housing Authority, upper Trammel Creek, located off of Highway 90 in downtown Crestview. Gulley erosion is undermining the foundation of an apartment building, threatening to destroy utilities and an adjacent retention basin. Repairs are estimated to cost $85,484 to fill and build a rock-lined channel to convey stormwater from the parking lot and retention area and remove sediment from the stormwater holding pond.
Gil-Ava Street Red Wash Branch, one and half miles southwest of Crestview High School.
A 20-foot gully threatens to topple a city water tower and destroy drainage structures, four homes and 400-feet of road. Sediment and debris is being deposited in downstream channel. Repairs are estimated to cost $1,251,324 to fill and grade, install rock riprap and plant vegetation to prevent further erosion.
JACKSON COUNTY
Seminole Road, Tributary to Merritt’s Mill Pond, about one and a half miles east of Marianna north of Highway 90. Gully erosion from a spillway outlet threatens to destroy 400 feet of road that is the sole access to a subdivision. Approximately $72,717 is estimated to install rock riprap at the outlet of concrete spillway.
Compass Lake, located in the southwest corner of Jackson County about one and a half miles north of Calhoun county line and two miles east of Washington County line. Severe roadside and gully erosion along 10,670 feet of paved road. Erosion will continue to wash out the road connecting the Compass Lake community to main roads like Highway 231. An estimated $328,464 will stabilize eroded roadsides and install rock riprap at the pipe and waterway outlets.
CALHOUN COUNTY
Gray Road, Gray Road at May Mill Branch Stream four miles northwest of Clarksville, Fla.
Gully erosion is undermining 1,875 feet of the north shoulder of Gray Road and the concrete headwall and culvert system. This site needs to be stabilized before the next flood to prevent washing out the road and drainage structures. Soil erosion is reducing water quality of Mayo Mill Branch Stream downstream. Repairs are estimated to cost $126,850 to stabilize the road shoulder, rock-line channel and concrete culvert system by shaping and vegetating the road shoulder.
Visit a local NRCS office or check the website for more information about the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.