As town staff takes a closer look at flood damage in Golden Eagle Park they are concluding it is going to take a long-term effort to restore turf on the ball fields and make repairs and improvements aimed at mitigating potential damage in the future.

Town Manager Grady Miller told the Town Council last week he had a firm estimate of $600,000 just to clear and re-sod the ball fields that have been inundated by mud and debris. He has since said staff is exploring options aimed at reducing that cost.

He also said that to insure they reduce the potential for similar damage in the future, they will be looking closely at drainage and erosion issues upstream from the park.

Miller said that while the ball fields at Golden Eagle Park are designed to detain flood waters rushing down washes into the park, they were not necessarily expecting the amount of sediment that left a foot and more of muck over most of three ball fields.

After initial repairs are made the town will look into hiring an engineering consultant to evaluate the washes and drainage upstream from the park to see what can be done to filter out some of the sediment.

Miller said they will be looking at options for reducing the amount of dirt and debris that washes into the canyons, and also how to slow down the flow of water to allow some of the sediment and debris to settle out of the stream.

Ultimately, the objective is to take enough debris out of the run-off to reduce the amount that settles out behind the dam in Golden Eagle Park. This is a project that will need to be budgeted over the next few years.

Miller told the council that since the park facilities are in a flood plain by design, insurance will not cover any damage from the flooding. He said staff is already looking at capital improvement projects in this year’s budget that can be deferred to cover initial costs of restoration in the park.

Going forward, looking at the possible drainage improvements in the upstream washes, funding will be at least partially drawn from the environmental fund. This is the money from the annual fee that property owners pay as the environmental fee. The fee is $36 annually, collected at the beginning of each calendar year.

Volunteers

Miller said he has received numerous calls from groups and individuals willing to volunteer in the effort to clean up Golden Eagle Park. He said he very much appreciates the offers, but he is being cautious, at least initially, about accepting any volunteer help.

Staff had considered using Make a Difference Day volunteers for some work in the park, but decided not to go that direction. There are timing issues with that option as well as safety and sanitation concerns related to the flooding.

Miller said it is very likely the town will have some work for volunteers as the project comes into clearer focus and he hopes people will stay enthusiastic about restoring the park back to its pristine condition.