Title
Authorization to Apply, Accept, Disburse Funds and Enter into Agreement for Arizona Department of Water Resources Arizona Water Protection Fund Grant (Ordinance S-52324) - Districts 7 & 8
Description
Request to authorize the City Manager, or the City Manager's designee, to approve the Office of Environmental Programs to submit a grant application to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for the Arizona Water Protection Fund grant, for up to $350,414. The purpose is to support a Salt River dry weather flow study to inform riparian restoration and management through the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area and the future Rio Salado Oeste Habitat Restoration project area. If awarded, request to execute all contracts and Memorandums of Agreement necessary to accept and disburse the grant funds. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse, grant funds in accordance with the terms of the aforementioned grant and agreement. Further request approval to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Arizona Water Protection Fund Commission and the State, including the Arizona Department of Water Resources, for any claims as a result of activities by the City or our contractors under this grant.
Report
Summary
The Arizona Water Protection Fund is a state grant program focused on funding efforts to maintain, enhance, and restore river and riparian resources throughout Arizona and measures to increase water availability and supply. The City of Phoenix is in the feasibility study stage with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Rio Salado Oeste, a potential future riparian restoration project from 19th Avenue to 83rd Avenue in the Salt River. Rio Salado Oeste would connect two previously constructed ecosystem restoration projects - Rio Salado Phoenix upstream from 19th Avenue to 28th Street and Tres Rios downstream from 83rd Avenue to El Mirage Road - resulting in 19 contiguous miles of enhanced river habitat and passive recreation when complete. Water planning is critical to the success of Rio Salado Oeste and it has become increasingly important to understand the context, seasonality, and quantity of water that currently enters the Salt River in the Rio Salado Phoenix and Rio Salado Oeste reaches of the river during both rainy and dry periods.
The purpose of the study under consideration for the grant is to capture critical data by continuously monitoring flow entering the river over the course of up to two years from up to 13 stormwater outfalls in Rio Salado Phoenix and Rio Salado Oeste reaches of the Salt River. One low flow channel location near 19th Avenue would also be included for up to 14 total monitoring locations. These outfalls discharge even without rain, primarily due to Salt River Project (SRP) return flows, but the quantity and frequency is unknown.
Thirteen of the 14 proposed monitoring locations are on property owned by the City or for which the City has an easement. The 14th location is on land owned by Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). ADOT has provided a letter of support for this project and indicated their intent to provide the City with an encroachment permit for the study if the City is successful in obtaining the grant.
The project would cover up to a two-year period, depending on the funding received under the grant. An existing contract would be used to hire a firm to order, install, and monitor the flow meters for the first year and prepare a report on the data. The City would own the flow meters and City staff would monitor the flow meters in the second year of the grant and any future years the City chooses to undertake without grant assistance. The contractor would continue to support the City in the second year and conduct the data analysis and a final report documenting both years of data at the grant's conclusion, if full grant funding is received.
The data and reports will inform the ongoing Rio Salado Oeste feasibility study and will assist the City in developing appropriate strategies for maximizing the use of existing water inputs to support restored habitat. The data will also support other Phoenix initiatives, including a stormwater master plan.
Procurement Information
Use of an existing City of Phoenix on-call contractor is anticipated for this study.
Contract Term
The grant is for a period of two and a half years; two years for the study and six months for final reporting and grant close-out activities.
Financial Impact
The Office of Environmental Programs (OEP) would provide a $30,001 local cash match for grant funding. This funding would be covered by OEP's existing operating budget.
Location
The monitoring locations are located along and within the Salt River at discrete locations from just east of I-10 to 83rd Avenue.
Council District(s): 7 and 8
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Alan Stephenson and the Office of Environmental Programs.