Record rains delay flood control work

David Kihara

Monday, June 20, 2005 | 11:10 a.m.

The record rainfall during the winter has already caused delays on several major flood control channels in the Las Vegas Valley, and officials said that the upcoming monsoon season might make completion of the projects even later.

In one case, winter flooding wiped out the concrete base of the Flamingo Wash three times. The construction on the project, which is going to be completed a month later than expected, could cost the county about $500 every day it runs late.

The county is currently working on 18 major flood-control related projects, said Steve Parrish, senior civil engineer with the Clark County Regional Flood Control District. It is spending upwards of $137.4 million on the plans.

While many of the projects have not faced delays, several have faced setbacks because of the heavy rains during the winter, he said.

Those that experienced delays because of the rains include the renovations to sections of the $3.5 million Flamingo Wash at Maryland Parkway near the Boulevard Mall and the $30 million Upper Las Vegas Wash running from North 5th Street to Craig Road, he said.

He said the Upper Las Vegas Wash in now on schedule.

Completing the flood control channels could face another hurdle, as the summer monsoon season is fast approaching. The region's wettest time of the year usually starts in mid-July and continues through September.

"We always worry about that (the rains)," Parrish said. "But they can usually plan projects and construction accordingly."

The county, for example, is working now to complete a drainage system on Algonquin and Drive to Twain Avenue that will, if completed on time, help mitigate the monsoon floods that swamped houses on Spencer Street, Parrish said.

Likewise, in a few weeks, the county in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin working on a flood channel and debris basin at Fort Apache Road from Sunset Road to Windmill Parkway, he said.

This $23 million flood control channel project, which will also include the a new basin to collect debris, will likely not be affected by any upcoming rains because not all construction is done in areas affected by seasonal flooding, Parrish said.

Other projects, however, are not as lucky.

Construction crews lost 50 days of work on the Flamingo Wash after the unusually heavy rains caused major flooding in the channel, said Bob Jones, construction management inspector with Clark County Public Works.

Jones, who was at the site of the Flamingo Wash on Thursday, said the major delays came from the winter flooding, which took out the pavement crews were using to line the bottom of the wash -- three times.

"It's been real slow going," Jones said.

But construction crews have completed the bulk of the work on the channel -- lining the walls of the wash from Maryland Parkway to Algonquin Drive with concrete, so does not expect flooding this summer to be an issue, he said.

The contractor working on the Flamingo Wash essentially is responsible for any cost overruns associated with construction on the project because it agreed to a specific price when bidding, said Gale Fraser, general manager at the Regional Flood Control District.

The delays, however, could cost the county because it will need an inspector on-site for longer, he said.

The Flamingo Wash renovations, set to be completed in August, are now set to be finished in September, Parrish said.

Bobby Shelton, spokesman for Clark County Public Works, said it will cost about $494 a day to have a county inspector at the site. This cost includes salary, vehicle expenses and county overhead, he said.

The wash is designed to accommodate 5,170 cubic feet of water per second -- essentially what would occur if a "100-year" rain event took place, as it did in July 1999, Parrish said.

But crews are still working to complete the drainage system that will direct surface water in the channel and prevent flooding on Spencer Street, Parrish said.

While Jones said major flooding this summer could holdup construction on the drainage system, he and Parrish concluded that completion of the concrete lining of the Flamingo Wash -- which the system will drain into -- will probably prevent any major delays.