The Colorado Army National Guard's 947th Engineer Company, in partnership with the City of Grand Junction, the 5-2-1 Drainage Authority and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin construction of a stormwater detention facility on BLM property on Leach Creek later this month.

The facility will capture water from storm events and retain it in the desert north of the City, releasing it slowly back into the environment to prevent flooding that can occur with large storm events.

The work provides the National Guard an opportunity to conduct critical individual and collective training for Soldiers through the Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. The project provides the Guard with labor and equipment training that is impossible to simulate.

"We are fortunate to be able to utilize the help of the Colorado National Guard in building this facility," said Bret Guillory, City Utility Engineer. "It allows the 5-2-1 Drainage Authority to complete construction that would otherwise be cost prohibitive, provides meaningful training to the National Guard, and is a critical piece in addressing stormwater flooding issues within the Drainage Authority boundaries."

A right-of-way grant has been issued by the BLM for construction of the project on federal land.

A neighborhood on Leach Creek flooded three times in six weeks last summer and asked for assistance.

Construction will be completed in October. The facility will include an earthen embankment 27 feet in height measured from the bed of Leach Creek and will include an outlet and spillway. The capacity of the detention basin is approximately 250 acre feet.