The older Williamson Valley Road-area subdivisions of Ho Kay Gan Village and Tonkawa were mostly platted and developed during the 1960s and 1970s and were never subject to formal drainage planning in the past. Significant monsoon-type storms in 2013, 2014, and 2015 further revealed that a comprehensive drainage study of the more significant drainage paths and watercourses in the area to review existing hydrology and drainage facilities would be helpful in planning and prioritizing future improvements. While the Flood Control District has been working with the Public Works Department to clean and maintain some of the drainage infrastructure that is currently present in this area, the District entered into a contract with Civiltec Engineering, Inc. to develop a formal Area Drainage Master Study (ADMS) in 2015 to provide guidance in budgeting for other potential drainage solutions in future years. The development of an ADMS is a typical solution to determine an approach for resolving area-wide drainage issues and upgrades for a neighborhood or community.
The ADMS was completed in early 2016 and the District again entered into a contract with Civiltec to begin design on three of the projects identified in the ADMS. The first project is planned for fall, 2017 construction and includes expanding the capacity of the crossing at Burnt Ranch Road off of Williamson Valley Road.
The second project, Ho Kay Gan Drainage Improvements, includes construction of a storm drain system and street improvements for portions of the Ho Kay Gan subdivision. The project is at 50% design and is expected to be built in phases, with the first phase happening in the 2017/18 fiscal year.
The third project includes a detention pond along Williamson Valley Road north of the subdivision to slow down the water coming through the subdivision. The property for the desired pond is on State Land and we are currently working with the State to determine if a partnership can be reached.