FARMINGTON -- One doesn't expect grownups to cringe and shudder at the sight of lightning and the sound of thunder.
But in Farmington City some officials do start to worry whenever Mother Nature begins to rattle her sabers.
With much of the city lying beneath fire-denuded hillsides, runoff from sudden, severe thunderstorms continues to produce localized flooding and mud slides. Last weekend, a mud slide occurred in the area of 500 North and 200 East and already city officials are looking at ways to prevent a repeat.
During last Wednesday night's meeting of the city council, city manager Max Forbush reported that city engineers have proposed redirecting flows from that area into nearby Rudd Creek Canyon.
In response to the massive mud slides of 1983, a large debris basin was built at the bottom of Rudd Creek Canyon. The July 21 proposal would make use of that existing basin.
Two problems remain, reported Forbush -- where to build the trench line and how to pay for it.
"Alternative 'A' calls for building a 360-foot-long trench on Forest Service property," he said. "But, if the Forest Service won't go along, we could look at building one 740 feet long farther down the hillside, just above the firebreak road. But, that would be on private property."
If the U.S. Forest Service agreed to go along with Alternative A, there would be the possibility of some federal funding. Farmington would also work with Davis County on the matter. Under Alternative B, however, the city would, undoubtedly, be forced to pay, at least, a major portion of the cost.
Meanwhile, progress continues to be made along another flood front. During the same meeting, council members approved an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and Davis County that would permit the building of two detention basins above North Compton Road.
The Forest Service is contributing more than $73,000 toward the projects, which the county will build and maintain. As part of the plan, a connection between the outlet of Lower Pond detention basin, from the spillway splashblock and the city storm drain system, will be installed.
Farmington will assume the salary and labor costs of preparing both preliminary and final design and cost estimate reports for the project, estimated at $12,500. It will also pay approximately $9,095 in the materials costs of constructing the connection from the Lower Pond detention basin to its storm drain system.
"Construction will begin in August," Forbush stated, "and be completed in September."