City of Stillwater NEWS | For Immediate Release
FEMA funding advances Babcock Basin Hazard Mitigation Project
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(STILLWATER, OKLA / Jan. 6, 2012) — The City of Stillwater announced that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved a grant application for phase I (the design phase) of the Babcock Basin Flood Hazard Mitigation Project. Babcock Basin is located in southwest Stillwater.
The grant provides funding in the amount of $250,744 for development of an engineering stormwater system design. In order to meet the timeframe established by FEMA and to have the design portion of the project completed, Ellen W. Stevens, Ph.D., P.E., PLLC, has been contracted for engineering services.
Cody Whittenburg, stormwater program manager and floodplain administrator, anticipates the design process to include significant public input and to be greener than conventional stormwater designs by incorporating low-impact development (LID) techniques where possible.
“Using LID practices will give us an opportunity to manage stormwater in a manner which is more appropriate than conventional systems. We'll be able to address concerns with an aesthetically-pleasing project design that manages impacts to our streams and provides added water quality benefits,” he said.
Upon completion of this phase of the project, the LID design will be submitted to FEMA for review and, upon acceptance, the City of Stillwater anticipates the award of funds for phase II, the construction portion of the grant.
“It is very exciting to know that, with FEMA’s financial support, our community is one step closer to addressing one of its stormwater problems. Public improvement projects of any kind are expensive, so it's rewarding when additional funding is available,” said Whittenburg.
Stevens was selected to assist with the design from a number of engineering firms after a thorough review of qualifications and a series of interviews. Working closely with staff, Stevens and her team of professionals will be instrumental in developing a regional stormwater solution.
While current months have been drier than average, the heavy rains of 2007 have not been forgotten. These storms caused significant flooding in the area known as Babcock Basin, a drainage basin in southwest Stillwater. In July 2007, Stillwater residents addressed the City Council about flood damages to their homes in the Summerlin Addition—one of several additions within the drainage basin.
Since that time, the city has taken steps to remedy such flooding concerns: a preliminary hydrologic and hydraulic analysis has been completed with support from Meshek & Associates, PLC, of Tulsa; the project has been identified in the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan; and potential grant funding was identified through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Residents interested in following this project may do so on Facebook by joining the group "Stillwater Stormwater: Babcock Basin Project." For additional information, contact Whittenburg at (405) 533-8436 or via email: stormwater@stillwater.org.
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Contact: Sherry Fletcher, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Phone: 405.742.8362
E-mail: sfletcher@stillwater.org
Web: stillwater.org