It is recommended that the City Council authorize a Lake Decatur Watershed Protection Program Agreement between the City of Decatur and Lynn Clarkson for the construction of an east waterway to control nutrients, sediment and erosion for a not to exceed cost to the City of $47,839.  This amount represents 90% of the total project cost of $43,490.00 with a 10% contingency on the overall project. The remainder ($4,349) will be paid by the property owner.

COUNCIL PRIORITY GOALS:
This project addresses City Council’s Priority Goal #6, Key Implementation Strategy #3: 
Implement recommendations of a Lake Management Plan so that the quantity of sediment, silt and nitrates entering Lake Decatur is significantly reduced, and adopt other strategies designed to assure good water quality and proper watershed stewardship for the future.

The City’s 2021 Watershed Management Plan is designed to significantly reduce Lake Decatur sedimentation and improve the lake’s water quality through watershed conservation. City staff manages the watershed conservation efforts in-house with the assistance of Northwater Consulting, the City’s Watershed Management Plan consultant.

The waterway to be constructed on private farmland is expected to result in these reductions over the life of the project: 

Nitrogen 8,955 pounds
Phosphorus 1,165.5 pounds
Sediment 1,022.4 tons

The agreement financials are:

Owner Cost          $   4,349.00
Maximum City Cost (reimbursed to owner after construction)*   $43,055.10
Total Not to Exceed Project Cost    $47,839.00

*In order to successfully entice landowners to construct these watershed conservation projects, landowners are reimbursed by the City for 90% of the total project cost. Landowners pay for 10% of the total.

A project summary with location map is attached. 

LEGAL REVIEW:
The agreement form was approved by the Legal Department on September 21, 2022.