USACE-Albuquerque District, Dona Ana County sign Project Partnership Agreement for new dam

Photo By Ronna Schelby | Fernando Macias (center), county manager, Dona Ana, and Lt. Col. Dale Caswell, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque District sign the Section 205 Small Flood Risk Management Cost Sharing Agreement during a signing ceremony at the Hatch Community Center, Hatch, New Mexico, Dec. 10, 2019. The purpose of signing the cost sharing agreement is to establish terms of funding, construction, and operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and rehabilitation of the project. USACE-Albuquerque District expects to begin the design phase of this project this coming spring.  

HATCH, NM, UNITED STATES

12.12.2019

Story by Ronna Schelby 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque District

HATCH, N.M. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Albuquerque District leadership and representatives from Dona Ana County celebrated the completion of the Feasibility Phase of the Hatch Section 205 Flood Risk Management Project during a milestone ceremony at the Hatch Community Center here, Dec. 10.

“This project is the final piece of a larger flood management system, and will work in conjunction with two other flood management features: The Placitas Arroyo Project and the International Boundary and Water Commission Levee Improvement Project,” said Lt. Col. Dale Caswell, commander, Albuquerque District.

Participants also signed the Project Partnership Agreement, which initiated the beginning the next phase of the project which includes design and construction of the dam.

The purpose of signing the cost sharing agreement is to establish terms of funding, construction, and operation, maintenance, repair, replacement and rehabilitation of the project.

“As part of the county’s cost share portion, we will be doing some of the prep work for the dam site itself,” said John Gwynne, director, Dona Ana County Flood Commission.

The proposed project includes construction of a 4,000 foot dam upstream of Hatch. The entire Village of Hatch is located within the 100-year flood plain.

The total cost of the project is currently projected to be $12,735,000.

“We expect to begin the design phase this coming spring,” Caswell said. “I’m very excited to see all of these great partners come together and work hard to create tangible improvements for this beautiful place.

“It’s a blue ribbon achievement which underscores the Corps’ 100% commitment to building the nation, protecting the region from flooding, and serving our community,” he said.

Those in attendance included Nathan Small, state representative; John Gwynne, director, Dona Ana County Flood Commission, District 36; Fernando Macias, county manager; Manuel Sanchez, county commissioner, District 5; Andrew Nunez, mayor, Village of Hatch; Lt. Col. Dale Caswell, commander, USACE, Albuquerque District; John Drake, deputy project manager, USACE; Mark Doles, Civil Works; Felton Prosper, project manager; representatives from the Elephant Butte community, and local stakeholders from the Village of Hatch.

• Date Taken: 12.12.2019
• Date Posted: 12.12.2019 18:05
• Story ID: 355500
• Location: HATCH, NM, US
• Hometown: ALBUQUERQUE, NM, US
• Hometown: HATCH, NM, US
• Hometown: LAS CRUCES, NM, US