PDM - Eagar Robertson Hollow Regional Flood Control Project Public Notice

INITIAL PUBLIC NOTICE: Eagar Robertson Hollow Regional Flood Control Project, Apache County, AZ │ PDMC-PJ-09-AZ-2019-010

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) intends to provide federal financial assistance under the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Program to the Town of Eagar in Apache County, AZ to provide flood control features along the Eagar Robertson Hollow. The proposed action would mitigate impacts from increased runoff flooding through the Robertson Hollow watershed. Pursuant to Executive Order 11988 (Floodplain Management) and Executive Order 11990 (Wetlands Management) and FEMA’s implementing regulations at Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 9, FEMA hereby provides interested parties with a notice of its intent to carry out an action affecting a floodplain and wetland.

The purpose of the proposed action is to mitigate against reoccurring flood damages from Robertson Hollow watershed runoff. The proposed action consists of five flood control features:

• Improved water crossing under 12th Street west of Line Street.
• Channel improvements starting at the outlet of 12th Street that would run approximately 2,000 feet to the north and would consist of regrading and erosion protection.
• Construction of an approximately 8-acre detention basin at the northern end of the improved channel.
• Underground storm sewer running east to west that would connect at the northwest corner of the detention basin and would be constructed within an easement south of West School Bus Road and a proposed extension of the road between South Main Street and South Butler Street.
• Construction of the outflow terminus of the storm sewer into Water Canyon Creek east of the intersection of West School Bus Road and Crosby Street.

The project area is in the 100-year floodplain as depicted on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Numbers 04001C4681E and 04001C4683E, effective date September 28, 2007. The FIRM shows that most of the project area lies within Zone AE, an area that has a 1-percent probability of flooding every year and where predicted floodwater elevations have been established. The outflow terminus would also be within a regulatory floodway, which is a watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory map shows freshwater emergent wetlands associated with Water Canyon Creek as potentially occurring within and adjacent to the project area.

Additional information about FEMA’s proposed action, including maps showing the potential impacts on floodplains and wetlands, may be obtained by writing the FEMA Region IX Environmental Officer at FEMA, 1111 Broadway, Suite 1200, Oakland, California 94607, or fema-rix-ehp-documents@fema.dhs.gov, or calling (510) 627-7027. All requests should be received within 15 days after publication of this notice.