Isaac Hale Daily Herald Tanner Renshaw, of Heber City, fly fishes while other people float down the Provo River in rafts and inner tubes in Provo Canyon on Thursday, July 9, 2020. (Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo)

The Provo Municipal Council and city administration are still fuming about the Federal Emergency Management Agency passing a one-size-fits-all levee certification regulation.

On Tuesday, Dave Decker, director of Provo’s Public Works Department, made a second visit to the council to see if he could calm some concerns.

The discussion encompasses two different flooding scenarios. One is flooding from Utah Lake and the other is flooding from Deer Creek Dam and the Provo River.

According to Decker, Utah Lake flooding impacts fewer than 25 homes. All new subdivisions are required to build their homes, including basements, higher than the flood plain.

The Provo River flooding is another matter — and would require some to purchase flood insurance ranging from $600 to $6,000 a year.

Approximately 300 homes would be affected if the uncertified levees gave out. However, some of those homes would not require flood insurance depending on where they are located from the levees.

Decker noted that he wasn’t too keen on people using the term “100-year flood” saying it’s all based on numbers and statistics.

“Chances are every single year you could have a 100-year event,” Decker said. “It’s important to understand it’s some magical event that has never happened.”

The 100- or 500-year flood, storm and more are just based on equations and not actual occurrences.

When it comes to FEMA, they have certified levee requirements based on a law designed around levees in Louisiana and other southern flood states. Provo has a long way to go to meet that criteria.

There are about 12 important criteria Provo has to meet. They meet only two, according to Decker.

“We’re quite a ways off the target,” Decker said.

He offered three options to the council.

1. Get more congressional help to change FEMA’s mind. Decker said this option would be almost impossible to accomplish.

2. Provo does its own study on the Provo River (Utah Lake is not included). They need to look at the levee system differently. Decker recommends this option, but that would include changing the way Deer Creek and the Provo River Water Users release and care for the water.

3. Certify the Levees as FEMA requires. That would be at a significant cost, according to Decker. The Utah Lake levees would cost about $15 million to get up to certification standards and the Provo River more than $16 million.

Councilman Bill Fillmore said, “It’s like being in a uniform straight jacket. Its either get the insurance or fix the levees.”

Decker said he is serious about exploring changing the nature of Deer Creek Reservoir drinking water and surface water.

He is swimming uphill with this venture as Provo only gets a small quantity of its water from Deer Creek. But, Decker says, it’s an important conversation to have.

“The council and administration could help by calling the Provo River Water Users and help them understand they need to change.

Deer Creek puts out about 150,000 acre feet of water a year. Provo gets 8,000 acre feet of that, or about 5%.

Councilman David Shipley asked how long it would take to do the city’s own study.

“Two years,” Decker said. “We want to wait for FEMA to do their study. That shouldn’t go into effect until January of 2024.”

Before closing his presentation, Decker said, “It is important for the council to know this has been frustrating for staff.”

He added that it doesn’t seem entirely fair and that he and his staff are pushing FEMA to make it more reasonable for western drought states.

The council will continue to review the options, send in grant applications and seek to do all they can to take the financial sting away from residents and the city.

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