Moscow looks to keep Paradise Creek at bay

The city of Moscow will use almost $300,000 in grant funding to explore ways to minimize flooding events, and therefore, property damage near Paradise Creek.

The Moscow City Council Monday night approved a subrecipient agreement for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Advance Assistance Program.

Bill Belknap, Moscow deputy city supervisor of community planning and design, said the total estimated cost of the study is $393,600. Of that total, the city will use $295,200 it was recently awarded in grant funding from FEMA through the Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the rest, or $98,400, will be funded by the city.

The study area will include Paradise Creek from Darby Road near Mountain View Park to the State Highway 8 underpass — an area Belknap said receives the most extensive flooding from Paradise Creek.

Belknap said the study will include a field survey of current channel conditions, an assessment of hydrologic conditions within the watershed and development of a hydraulic model to understand how flooding events occur and how to respond within the community.

The alternatives’ effectiveness to mitigate property damage in the study area will then be assessed, Belknap said.

Once the preferred alternative is selected, a percentage of the design documents will be prepared, an environmental review will be conducted and a benefit cost analysis that compares the potential reduction in property damage to the proposed construction and maintenance costs of the selected alternative will be completed.

Belknap said the city can then take the results of the study and pursue funding for the actual construction of the measures.

“It is clear there is not going to be a silver bullet that will address all flooding events or all flows, but we can certainly work to lessen the impacts, especially the smaller flooding events that the city incurs,” he said.

The grant funding the city received stemmed from the flooding in Moscow in spring 2017.

Belknap said FEMA officials encouraged city officials at the time to apply for a Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant to identify and potentially construct flood hazard mitigation actions that could reduce the risk of property damage on Paradise Creek.

After filing an application in fall 2017 and subsequent information to the federal agency, FEMA encouraged the city to shift its application to the Advance Assistance Program.

In other business, the council approved the submission of a Transportation Alternatives Program grant application for the proposed South Main Street/U.S. Highway 95 pedestrian underpass between the south couplet and Sweet Avenue.

The city requested $499,643 from the TAP grant and the city and Moscow Urban Renewal Agency would likely split the remaining $506,687 for the project if the grant application is approved.

The project, which would improve the flow and safety of pedestrians using Paradise Path, would be constructed in 2023.

Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com.