Fort Churchill Road is a rural gravel road that meanders along the northern boundary of the Carson River for approximately 16 miles between the communities of Dayton and Silver Springs, in Lyon County, Nevada. While Fort Churchill Road only generates approximately 140 average daily trips, it serves as the only alternate or emergency route between Dayton and Silver Springs should there be a transportation disruption on U.S. Highway 50. Directly adjacent to the river bank is the Buckland Ditch which provides irrigation to 3,200 acres of land that is leased out for ranching, agricultural operations, and noxious weed control. During the 1997 flood event, flow of the Carson River at Fort Churchill peaked at 22,800 cfs. Portions of the Fort Churchill Road and part of the old Carson River Route of the California Emigrant Trail were flooded and washed away in several places. During such flood events, and when at bank-fill capacity, the Carson River has eroded the river bank at the project site directly adjacent to Fort Churchill Road and the Buckland Ditch, causing a 25-foot vertical bank that is approximately 1,420 linear feet long. In the last six years, there has been a 15 to 20-foot loss of land and it is anticipated that a minor flood event, or less than six years of continued annual erosion, could easily incise the remaining 20 to 30 feet of the bank to a point that it impacts the ditch and road. Should there be a bank failure, the existing irrigation system will be destroyed and the adjacent Fort Churchill Road washed out.
As a result of our long standing relationship with Dayton Valley Conservation District, R.O. Anderson was asked to consider design alternatives and research funding opportunities for this river bank stabilization project located at Fort Churchill State 
Historic Park. R.O. Anderson facilitated meetings with the project partners including Nevada State Parks, Dayton Valley Conservation District, Nevada Division of Forestry, USDA Natural Resources Conservation District, Carson Water Sub-conservancy District, Lyon County, and Nevada State Lands. Through our in depth grant research program, R.O. Anderson identified the FEMA Unified Hazard Mitigation Assistance Program for potential funding of this project. R.O. Anderson then prepared the detailed applications for submittal to Nevada Department of Emergency Management and FEMA including a preliminary hydrology and hydraulics report, preliminary project design, and benefit/cost analysis on behalf of the Nevada State Parks.
The proposed conceptual design of the project will consist of construction of a low-flow channel approximately 5,170 FT long located away from the existing bank failure; installation of bio-engineering treatment along the new low-flow channel outer banks to promote long term stability; installation of a lined open channel to convey the irrigation water along approximately 1,420 LF of the existing open ditch; filling the existing bank failure out at a 3:1 (Horizontal to Vertical) slope; and armoring the slope with rock reinforcement to an elevation above the 100 YR event. The engineer’s preliminary estimate of probable costs for the project totals $2,289,238.
Upon review by the Nevada Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee, the Fort Churchill Flood Mitigation Project was ranked #5 out of 8 projects submitted for the State of Nevada. Additionally, Nevada State Parks was recently notified that the application was successful in the FEMA national competitive process. Upon completion of the NEPA review, Nevada State Parks will be awarded $1,716,908 or 75% of the total project cost. The remaining $572,330, or 25% of the project cost, will be provided by State and local partners through donation of in-kind services and bioengineering materials.
