By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Whitewater officials are enlisting the services of consultants to make a series of recommendations aimed at improving local waterways in and near the Rock River. The maneuver is loosely tied to a new state mandate.
The Common Council on Nov. 17 voted to award a contract, capped at $121,000, to engineering firm Strand Associates. The Madison-based company will be tasked with developing a stormwater management plan at the Rock River basin.
While the city is administering the project, only a portion of municipal dollars are going toward Strand’s work. The city is the recipient of a planning grant, in the amount of $84,700, from the state Department of Natural Resources.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater also has pledged $7,260 toward the plan development, leaving the city with a balance of $29,040 to cover.
Assistant City Manager Chris McDonell said the work revolves around a series of technical issues within the waterways known as the total maximum daily load (or TMDL).
The overarching theme of the study, McDonell said, is “improving water quality and reducing the discharge of sediment and phosphorous to the local waterways.”
By law, the city needs to have a TMDL plan in place by March 31, 2018.
In documentation provided to the city, Strand staffers indicated their work for this particular project will take place within the municipal limits and include a series of technical recommendations, including structural and operational management and methods of addressing streambank stabilization.
Additionally, Strand has indicated it plans to offer expertise on tweaking municipal ordinances to accommodate future changes pertaining to stormwater management.
