Humboldt council amends ravine stabilization proposal

By PHIL MONSON

An amendment to a ravine stabilization project was approved by the Humboldt City Council at their regular meeting on Monday night, Dec. 1.

The action capped a short meeting with a light agenda.

ISG Engineering drafted an amended plan for the Highway 169 ravine project. Anderson Drainage submitted an updated price for the project. Both documents are included in the packet for review.

According to Humboldt City Administrator Cole Bockelmann, the original cost was $71,110. The amended cost is now $80,843, which is a $9,733 increase. The fiscal year 2026 budget includes $75,000 in funding for improvements to the storm water system.

The Storm Water Utility Fund has a balance of $192,031.34 and no other storm water projects planned for fiscal year 2026.

“The purpose of the change is to increase the overall effectiveness of the improvements and to re-establish the south slope of the ravine, which has been significantly eroded within the last few years. The updated plan extends the storm sewer pipe further into the ravine, which carries the water further away from the damaged area,” Bockelmann said.

“The amended plan still includes a stilling basin at the end of the pipe. However, the expended pipe allows for dirt to replace the rip-rap quantities along the ravine,” Bockelmann said.

“A couple of Mondays ago we met on site with the contractor, Cole Anderson, along with Nick Frederiksen of ISG Engineering and the property owner along 169. We reviewed a lot of it and the quantities. Based on feedback we created an alternative design,” Bockelmann said.

“Essentially this change will extend the pipe further away, about 50 feet, from all the damages and allow us to slow it all down,” Bockelmann said. “This will allow us to put some dirt back on top and rebuild some of the slope that was lost over the last few years because it is a very steep drop-off.”

“We saved quite a bit on this version as it decreases the amount of rip-rap needed because before, we were just throwing rip-rap on it to stabilize what was there. Instead, it is more of a dirt quantity and increased pipe quantity to get it further down the ravine, away from the highway and private property,” Bockelmann said.

“It is just under $10,000 more to go that route with lowering the rip-rap, adding the dirt quantity. We budgeted $75,000 and so we are right on our budget. I’m not concerned going over for what will be a better end product,” Bockelmann said.

“I think it makes more sense to extend the pipe further in the ravine than stopping it where it is now and having the same problem later,” Councilman John Sleiter said.

Read the full story from the city council meeting in this week's issue of the Humboldt Independent!