• Activities on the Thompson Creek Project in the last month have included completion of pre-construction water quality sampling, collection of rain event flow data and development of a stage-discharge relationship for Thompson Creek by the USGS, and documentation of the inaugural Bio-Blitz event by UNO. Other efforts included the ongoing grant agreements and reports, working through review comments from the EPA on the 9-Element Watershed Management Plan, and designing and bidding demonstration projects for storm water management.

• OPPD has identified the extent of easement areas for the new route of their overhead power lines which must be moved to allow the channel reconstruction earthwork. They are currently having appraisals prepared and they anticipate beginning to contact property owners towards the end of July to start acquiring the easements. The City will also be contacting property owners this summer to obtain rights to perform grading.

• Construction work on the channel stabilization project is still expected to begin in the fall of 2014 and last into the summer of 2015. The work this fall would consist of clearing trees so that OPPD can perform utility relocations over the winter months. A permit application is underway with the Corps of Engineers to seek the necessary approvals for construction.

• The Rain Barrel Program has been extended in order to meet this year’s goal of signing up 40 rain barrels in the Thompson Creek Watershed this year. Applications will be accepted until 40 rebates have been granted. At this time approximately 30 rebate applications have been authorized and those that have been approved need to complete their installations by September 5. The program provides for a 50% rebate up to a maximum of $60.00 towards acceptable rain barrels.

• The City’s consultant team has continued to work on plans for rain gardens around City Hall. Design work will commence in July for a bio-retention basin for the City Hall parking lot. The grant for the bio-retention basin in the parking lot was approved. These projects are expected to be constructed during summer and fall of this year. The installation of a street filter at the southwest corner of the Park View Blvd and 73rd Avenue intersection is expected to start in July of this year and be completed in September.

• A downspout redirection project will get underway in the next few weeks. This will involve working with property owners to discharge downspouts onto grassed surfaces rather than onto pavement to slow and reduce storm water runoff. This is an element in the Thompson Creek Watershed Management Plan. The goal for this year is the redirection of 50 downspouts.
• More information on the Thompson Creek Watershed Restoration project can be found at www.cityoflavista.org/thompsoncreek.