Kalispell stormwater project slated for spring construction

The Kalispell City Council will hold a remote work session tonight to get up to speed on plans for an upcoming city stormwater project.

Kalispell Public Works Director Susie Turner will give a presentation on a stormwater project that is expected to begin construction this spring. The multi-faceted project will involve multiple infrastructure improvements going into place throughout Northwest Kalispell. The project is intended to address the rapid development of areas such as Three Mile and Four Mile drives, and West Spring Creek and Stillwater roads.

These high-growth areas also were identified for flooding issues in a preliminary engineering study completed in 2019. The recent study provides an update to the Kalispell Stormwater Facility Master Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2008.

The Public Works Department has worked to secure properties and easements for the project and determine the design of the various facilities for the past several years.

“The final project consists of conveyance piping and a series of regional stormwater detention facilities intended to mitigate existing drainage issues and prevent increases in flooding,” the council staff report notes.

The current scope of the project includes three regional detention facilities to provide flood control for the adjacent areas.

One facility serving the northwest portion of the designated area will be located east of West Spring Creek Road. The northwest detention facility is intended to serve as both a stormwater detention facility and a recreational multi-use field complex.

The two southwest regional detention facilities will be placed on land near West Spring Creek, generally located in between Three Mile and Four Mile drives.

Additional components of the project will be put in place to help drain the area’s stormwater into West Spring Creek. These will include a new outfall to a drainage way easement west of the Quarter Horse Estates neighborhood, as well as the addition of approximately 9,000 linear feet of 24-inch storm drain.

Funding proposals for the project are expected to come before the council at a meeting in March, but the council recently approved access to the Montana State Revolving Fund to reimburse any preliminary costs.

The agenda for the work session, including a map detailing the location of each of the planned infrastructure improvements, can be found on the city’s website at: https://www.kalispell.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02082021-577

The work session starts at 7 p.m. on Feb. 8 through Zoom videoconference.

Public comment can be provided via email to publiccomment@kalispell.com or verbally during the video conference. To join the video conference, attendees must register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_daRbJc6OTRexWCiMd54S2A.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.