FARMINGTON — Low levels of precipitation mixed with higher-than-normal temperatures have made for ideal conditions for floodwater construction projects.

Davis County is in the throes of completing three years’ of projects tied to its $27 million flood bond construction project that was made possible in 2007 when a $1.8 million property tax increase was approved by the county commission as a way to leverage funds, said County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings. A variety of projects has been completed or funds committed to be spent by years’ end for flood channel cleanup and improvements.

“We feel like we’re in good shape,” said County Commissioner John Petroff. “All of this bonding has been for major capital projects” rather than to pay for ongoing expenses, such as salaries. He emphasized that a revenue stream is in place coupled with favorable construction and bonding rates.

“We feel like we’ve saved millions of dollars” in the process,” he said. 

“One thing I’ve worked on personally is making sure we are in good shape for flooding. We escaped a few years ago” from experiencing major problems due to those improvements, he said. 

Much of the construction work has included replacing old infrastructure that is not visible to the public. It has also included lining channels and upgrading them to handle more water flow. For instance, box culverts have been placed under streets. Some of the projects have taken more taken more than two years to complete, Petroff said.

“What we’ll do now is make sure all of our channels are in good shape,” Petroff said. Secondary irrigation water shutoff on Oct. 15 will allow time for maintenance viability checks of water projects, he said. 

For more information check out the Oct.4 edition of Davis Clipper.