Both Washburn and Mellen knew they had aging utilities under their roads , but the repairs were outside of their budgets . Ayres helped them gain funding through the CDBG and both of the WDNR programs – and when the Wisconsin Department of Transportation ( WisDOT ) ended up rebuilding a highway through each city , the communities were able to use that funding to work with the highway project to fix the underground utilities . Without that funding , WisDOT would have simply completed a mill-and-overlay on the road , and another 15-20 years would have passed before the opportunity arose again .
Similarly , Hayward and Phillips both had leaking , failing pipes under their streets and little budget to address them . Funding from CDBG ( Hayward ) and the DNR ( Hayward and Phillips ) not only allowed them to rebuild their water , sewer , storm sewer , and associated sidewalk , curb and gutter , and asphalt on the roads , it gave them leverage to secure additional funding . Meanwhile , Prentice was able to use CDBG funding and a USDA Rural Development loan and grant to rebuild a muchneeded wastewater treatment plant .
In addition to gaining funding and timing things right , Hayward , Mellen , Phillips , and Washburn were able to take advantage of 50 % -65% loan forgiveness through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act , also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ( BIL ).
There are two years left of current BIL funding levels , with a deadline of October 2024 for fiscal year 2026 and October 2025 for fiscal year 2027 . If you don ’ t already have someone on your staff who knows the time frames and strategies , talk with Grant Writer / Specialist Lisa Fugett of Ayres to jump on these funding opportunities while they are still available .
Lisa can be reached at FugettL @ AyresAssociates . com or 715.400.7504 . address deficiencies and comply with state dam safety regulations . Ayres was hired to complete the design of these improvements , including replacing the overflow spillway structure , designing the spillway channel , and rehabilitating the primary outlet works . As part of this work , Ayres also installed an early warning system that gives the City a better way to notify its residents should a significant storm or other event increase the potential for a dam failure .
Ayres conducted the design work starting in the fall of 2019 , performing the hydrologic analysis , and developing the construction plans . Ayres completed construction documents in spring 2021 and started providing construction observation in summer 2021 . Construction spanned three summers , with the project now substantially complete . The total cost of the project was nearly $ 1.2 million for design and construction observation services .
Dale Mathison was project manager for this project , which involved staff from several groups working together to complete the work . The project largely addressed life and safety issues , by modernizing the aging dam to protect the public from potential failure . The improvements also helped protect a key water resource for the City of Grand Junction ; without a functioning dam the City would lose a crucial water supply source .
HOGCHUTE DAM IMPROVEMENTS ENHANCE SAFETY AND PROTECT WATER SUPPLY The City of Grand Junction , nestled in Colorado ’ s Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains , relies on Hogchute Dam – a 60-foot-high earth embankment dam – for its water supply . The dam , built in 1947 and located at approximately 10,000 feet in elevation , needed repairs and improvements to
The City has now wrapped up this project and is looking forward to a modernized dam that provides enhanced safety to the public and more security for its water supply .
20 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .