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8. Flood meeting report - 2020 revised Staff Report Date of Meeting: March 4th, 2020 Work Session Update on April 21, 2020 To: Mayor, City council From: Adam Hawkinson, Director of Public Works Re: Report on Flooding concerns Washington Co. 2020 Background: In 2019 Washington County and the City of Scandia witnessed unprecedented flooding of roads and ditches due to an early spring rain combined with an earlier heavy wet snow fall. The County and cities within the County that were impacted by flooding were declar ed disaster areas by the Governor which was later covered under FEMA. Information: The National Weather Service, NOAA, is warning communities of possible flooding reoccurring this spring. There is a large amount of moisture left in the soil from last fall and there is normal amount of snow fall for this winter season so far. During this winter there has been record water flow in both the Mississippi River and the St. Croix River compared to other winters during this same period. With the rivers already being high, a fast melt or rain could mean similar flooding occurring this year or worse because of the high flow rates in the rivers currently. The good news is the frost is not as deep in the ground as last year so there is a chance that moisture may be able to move through the soil profile earlier this year. What may impact Scandia is a number of lakes with no outlets, or lakes and wetland areas with very slow outlet rates. They refer to this as in-land flooding. Goose Lake does not have an outlet and there are three homes on the west side of the lake that would be impacted by the lake levels rising. On the East and West side of Big Marine Lake, there are homes and cottages not more than a foot or so above lake level. With the outlet being somewhat restrictive with other waters adding to the backup, there is a potential for the water to get near homes. Bone Lake also has several homes near the lake that could be impacted by high water. One of the larger concerns of the County’s Emergency Management di vision and Public Health Department are the flooding of septic systems and wells. In many areas where wetlands or lakes don’t have outlets or adequate outlets, there are possible impacts to wells and septic systems in low lying areas. Runoff into wells or submerged septic systems are both large public health risks. Residents should have access through some media source to help them understand the risks of using a contaminated well or a compromised septic system. The County has suggested communities make several resources available. One is a link on the community’s web page to the County’s web site for information that includes health concerns related to contamination of a well or a septic system that is compromised. The other recommendation is providing sandbag resources. Washington County Public Works has developed a fee schedule for providing the sand, the bags, and delivery to a publicly owned property available to the public that needs the resources. The residents would be responsible for requesting the quantity of sand bags and identifying where to locate them. The city then delivers the sand, bags and ties to the site for the resident. It is recommended that sand deliveries be made to a publicly owned property so liability issues may be avoided. It would be at the City Councils discretion to adopt any of the recommendations by the County during their presentation. There is a cost for the use of the public works staff to provide sandbagging resources to the residents. The council would need to determine if the City would charge residents for the service. The County’s fees are attached below. The County’s Fee Schedule: Washington County Public Works Delivery Costs (only delivered to publicly owned land) • 10 Tons of Sand and 700 Bags Delivered -$225 • 10 Tons of Sand Delivered -$120 • 700 Bags Delivered -$105 The costs listed do not cover county staff time for loading product or delivery, fuel, etc. Links Council can add to the City’s web page: How to sandbag a septic system: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/706/Septic -Systems-and- Floods?bidId= Flood Outlook: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/1106/Emergency-Alerts Tips for Flooding Wells: https://www.co.washington.mn.us/DocumentCenter/View/707/Tips-for-Flooded-Wells?bidId= Fiscal Impact: Bags range from $0.30 per bag, at Menards at this time and would need to be ordered, to $1.50 per bag on Amazon depending on supply, vendor, and demand. Some of the costs for the ties, picking up of the bags, sand delivery, and counting bags for delivery, and clean up of the staging site in the spring, if the City wants to charge for the services, are described in the County’s fees above. Options: Council can recommend the addition of links to the City’s web page for the public to review resources the county has on their website. Council can purchase and make available to the public, bags, sand, and ties with a delivery to specified locations.