With fresh funding in hand, St. Augustine advances flood-mitigation projects

With millions of dollars on tap and a major study moving forward, the city of St. Augustine is embarking on new efforts to curb flooding downtown.

St. Augustine includes very low-lying areas, such as Davis Shores, and the city experiences routine flooding from storms and extra high tides, sometimes referred to as "king tides." On top of that, the city saw heavy damage from Hurricanes Matthew and Irma, and it's vulnerable to sea-level rise.

City leaders are working on making the city stronger against flooding and sea-level rise, and they have state and federal funds for projects, including a multimillion-dollar Army Corps study. And the city will be digging deeper into sea-level rise predictions.

"How much time do we really have? … We don't know the answer to that question yet," said Jessica Beach, the city of St. Augustine's chief resilience officer.

The term "resilience" refers to a community's ability to respond well and bounce back from shocks and stressors, she said. For the city, that means dealing with routine nuisance flooding and preparing for larger storm and flooding events.

The strategy for keeping the city above water involves not just technical expertise and projects but also planning and policy, Beach said. Since Beach took on the role more than a year ago, she and other officials have been reviewing what has been completed to date and what else needs to be done.

One project, supported by a $217,000 state Resilient Florida grant, will monitor groundwater networks for sea-level rise.

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"This effort will focus on predicting impacts, specifically to critical infrastructure, of sea level rise by installing a monitoring network to accurately measure rates of change in current shallow groundwater elevation and water quality," according to a city document.

At least 60 monitoring points will be placed in the city and will be monitored by a professional, licensed surveyor.

"All data (sea level, groundwater, water quality and creek level) will be compiled and summarized quarterly, building the data set," according to the city. "Daily rainfall along with any severe storm activity will also be summarized."

Here are some projects on tap. For information, visit citystaug.com/863/Resiliency.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Back Bay study

The U.S. Army Corps is moving forward in partnership with the city on preparing a study of potential flood mitigation projects. The study will cost $3 million, half coming from the federal government and half from local sources.

The study would examine and produce a cost-benefit ratio for a 50-year time frame for options such as storm surge barriers at the St. Augustine Inlet, floodwalls, natural and land-based solutions, elevating structures, floodproofing, and acquisition and relocation of properties, said Jason Harrah, a U.S. Army Corps project manager.

Commissioners supported moving forward with the first part of the effort, which will require a $200,000 match of $200,000 provided by the federal government.

The feasibility study is expected to be finished within a few years.

Lake Maria Sanchez Flood Mitigation and Drainage Improvements

About 200 acres of downtown St. Augustine is expected to benefit from the Lake Maria Sanchez Flood Mitigation project, according to the city. Among other things, the project will install a pump station and flood wall in the area.

The project, which is expected to cost close to $30 million, is in design. Funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Resilient Florida are helping with the project.

According to Beach, the city is preparing solicitations for professional design services for the following projects:

South Davis Shores Flood Mitigation and Drainage Improvements

Upgrades to drainage infrastructure will help reduce flooding from tidal surge and rainfall. This project will include adding tide-check valve systems into three culverts.

"The smart valves will stay in the open configuration to maintain wetland hydrology of upstream wetland systems, but close temporarily in advance of flooding conditions," according to the city.

A Resilient Florida grant is helping with the more than $2.79 million project cost.

South Whitney West King Street Flood Mitigation Project

This project will elevate South Whitney Street and part of West King Street, reconstruct storm sewer systems and replace box culverts to reduce flooding.

The project is expected to cost more than $1.82 million. Funding is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Resilient Florida.

Citywide Tidal Backflow Prevention Improvements

The city plans to add tide-check valves to eliminate nuisance tidal flooding at 20 stormwater outfalls. The city has already added the valves to dozens of outfalls.

"Once the locations are identified, the city will contract out (using an existing competitively procured contract) for the evaluation of each storm outfall that includes cleaning and closed-circuit television (CCTV)," according to the city. "The city will review that evaluation data and determine if any storm pipe repairs or lining needs to occur in preparation for the tide check valve installation."

The project is expected to cost $461,282, and the city is receiving help from a Resilient Florida grant.

Inlet Drive Shoreline Resiliency

This project would elevate and protect a section of shoreline in a residential area that is vulnerable to erosion and flooding.

"This project would look to include a combination of structural and non-structural based solutions (living shoreline enhancement, thin layer placement of dredged material, etc.) … This would also include upgrading the existing storm infrastructure and installation of a tide check valve," according to the city.

This project is expected to cost $711,090 and is receiving support from a Resilient Florida grant.

Court Theophelia Neighborhood Flood Mitigation and Drainage Improvements

The project will replace utilities and reconstruct "flood-prone and damaged roads due to high-tide flooding," among other upgrades.

A Resilient Florida grant of over $2.58 million is helping with the project.

Stormwater Resilience Master Plan: A City-Wide Study

With $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds available to pay for the project, the city will update its stormwater masterplan, which uses data from 2013.

"This proposed city-wide study will update the master plan to incorporate recent vulnerability assessments, resilience studies and a comprehensive plan update to better assess the increase in risk from coastal and rainfall-driven flooding," according to the city. "This update will fill in data gaps from the previous coastal vulnerability assessment."

The plan will include, among other things, a comprehensive risk assessment and analysis of the city's "critical infrastructure" in the face of rainfall and flooding.

As of the latest update, the project was ready for a request for qualifications.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: City of St. Augustine to embark on series of flood-mitigation projects