County wraps up temporary flood damage repairs, waits for federal dollars

LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — Salt Lake County workers have finished all of the temporary work they can do to shore up the banks of Little Cottonwood Creek following the flood damage in June.

County officials now are waiting to see if federal funding is on its way so they can begin more long-term work on the creek.

"We have done a lot of safety repairs. They are Band-Aid repairs, not full repairs," said county director of engineering and flood control Scott Baird.

The county applied for a $6 million federal aid package through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and will know sometime within a year if the county is a recipient.

"The NRCS will not reimburse, so we have just done enough to get us by," Baird said, adding the county has spent about $370,000 so far.

The county would have to match 25 percent of the NRCS funds. "We are optimistic about the money," Baird said.

The county didn't have enough damages to meet the $2.9 million threshold to qualify for FEMA funds.

The county has hired two consulting firms to do a creek study. The results will identify the flood damage and help the county decide how to restore the creek. The county also will identify factors that may have made the flooding worse, such as undersized culverts.

The recent flash flood that occurred in the county Aug. 19 had no effect on Little Cottonwood Creek or the repair work, county officials said.

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