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Powerline Plan and Environ. Assessment Jan. 2013 - Flood Control ...

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<strong>Powerline</strong> <strong>Flood</strong> Retarding Structure<br />

Pinal County, AZ<br />

Draft Supplemental Watershed <strong>Plan</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>Environ</strong>mental <strong>Assessment</strong><br />

5.4 ALTERNATIVES DESCRIPTION<br />

Two alternative plans were identified for detailed study <strong>and</strong> are noted from this point on as<br />

Alternative 1 <strong>and</strong> Alternative 2 for the <strong>Powerline</strong> FRS. For clarification Alternative 2 is<br />

Alternative 8A/8B from the Level II <strong>and</strong> Level III reports. The difference between 8A <strong>and</strong> 8B is<br />

the treatment of Rittenhouse FRS. Rittenhouse is converted to a levee in 8A <strong>and</strong> is a rehabilitated<br />

dam in 8B. In both 8A <strong>and</strong> 8B, <strong>Powerline</strong> FRS is replaced with a 100-year channel to discharge to<br />

Vineyard Road FRS as described below. The description of the alternative below is only for<br />

<strong>Powerline</strong> FRS for this <strong>Plan</strong>/ EA. The two alternative plans for <strong>Powerline</strong> FRS are:<br />

• Alternative 1 – No Action <strong>Plan</strong>/Future Without Project: <strong>Powerline</strong> FRS remains in unsafe<br />

condition until Sponsor’s eventual Rehabilitation or Replacement of the dam.<br />

• Alternative 2 – Decommissioning: Convert the <strong>Powerline</strong> FRS into a channel to discharge<br />

into the rehabilitated Vineyard Road FRS.<br />

These alternatives are discussed in detail below. Cost estimates for the alternatives are provided in<br />

Appendix E.<br />

5.4.1 ALTERNATIVE 1 – NO ACTION PLAN/FUTURE WITHOUT PROJECT<br />

The “No Action Alternative” is required under the NRCS National Watershed Manual for a dam<br />

rehabilitation planning project. This alternative is also known as the “No Action Alternative/Future<br />

Without Project <strong>Plan</strong>” which is defined as the most likely condition absent the Action<br />

Alternatives/Future With Project <strong>Plan</strong>s under current consideration.<br />

Under the “No Action/Future Without Project Alternative” the Sponsor would continue to operate<br />

<strong>and</strong> maintain the <strong>Powerline</strong>, Vineyard Road, <strong>and</strong> Rittenhouse <strong>Flood</strong> Retarding Structures beyond<br />

the end of the structures’ design lives. The structures would continue to be operated as under<br />

existing conditions of the dams with the noted dam safety deficiencies. The structures would<br />

continue to have identified safety deficiencies <strong>and</strong> would not meet current NRCS <strong>and</strong> ADWR<br />

performance st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />

The Sponsor has indicated that without federal financial assistance, sufficient funds are not<br />

available to rehabilitate or replace the structures in a timely manner. The Sponsor recognizes,<br />

however, that there remains a need to address the existing safety deficiencies. Therefore, the<br />

Sponsor would eventually rehabilitate or replace the dams one at a time as non-federal funds<br />

become available. The District estimates that rehabilitation/replacement using local funds would<br />

occur for the first structure in year 20, the second structure in year 25, <strong>and</strong> the third structure in year<br />

30 (after the approval date of this Supplemental Watershed <strong>Plan</strong>).<br />

This alternative is not acceptable to the Sponsor <strong>and</strong> local community as a viable solution since it<br />

does not meet the purpose <strong>and</strong> need to reduce the risk of loss of life due to catastrophic dam failure.<br />

Action is needed to address public health <strong>and</strong> safety issues surrounding a flood control dam that<br />

does not meet existing safety <strong>and</strong> performance st<strong>and</strong>ards for a high hazard potential structure. The<br />

structures would continue to have safety <strong>and</strong> performance deficiencies <strong>and</strong> continue to pose a<br />

significant risk of catastrophic failure until eventual rehabilitation or replacement of the structures.<br />

The annual operation <strong>and</strong> maintenance costs for the No Action alternative are $212,700 (see NRCS<br />

Table 4 in Section 8.0).<br />

USDA- NRCS Page 5-10 <strong>Jan</strong>uary <strong>2013</strong><br />

Kimley-Horn <strong>and</strong> Associates, Inc.

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