City Commissioners voted during their Aug. 6 meeting to reject all bids for a river bank stabilization project.

All bids for the project were over budget, so city staff recommended rebidding the project.

The city, Cascade County, Cascade County Conservation District, Recreational Trails Inc. and NorthWestern Energy have identified a 1,440-foot portion of the northside bank of the Missouri River, immediately west of the 9th Street bridge, near the city’s wastewater treatment plant, where significant erosion is occurring.

The area is adjacent to the River’s Edge Trail, which runs parallel to the river.

The project is the second phase of the riverbank stabilization effort that has been in the works for several years.

In this second phase, portions of the riverbank have sloughed off, creating unstable conditions and safety hazards, according to city staff.

Giant Springs Road closure for riverbank stabilization project

The height of the bank within the proposed project area is seven to 20 feet in vertical height with erosion threatening the River’s Edge Trail and a 36-inch buried sewer line, which are about 30-60 feet from the edge of the bank, according to city staff.

City Commissioners voted in November 2022 to accept a U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for this second phase of the project.

Phase two’s goal is to continue preservation of the northern riverbank and eliminate erosion along the 550-foot stretch of the river and also protecting the trail and sewer line.

First phase of riverbank stabilization project nearly done [2023]

The proposed project includes installation of riprap with blended soils and planting of willows at the toe of the slope and a graded slope with erosion protection.

The Cascade Conservation District contracted in 2002 with Land and Water Consulting, now know as WWC, for a Missouri River Urban Corridor Inventory and Assessment to document existing conditions and provide potential restoration options.

The study identified the roughly 1,440-foot stretch from the 9th Street bridge upstream as the highest priority for riverbank stabilization.

Missouri River stabilization project continuing [2022]

The CCD sponsored the development of the preliminary engineering report for the project that was published in 2015.

In August 2022, commissioners approved a contract to Winkler Excavating Inc. for the first phase of project construction, which has since been completed.

The second phase will finish the recommended repairs including bank stabilization along 550 linear feet.

The city received three bids for the project in July, with the lowest bid being $384,977.

City receives FEMA grant for riverbank stabilization project [2021]

The available funding for the project is $367,485, according to city staff through federal and state grants and city utility funds.

Staff will rebid the project.