Starting in 2013 as the Tamarac sub-watershed Project Work Team before ultimately transitioning into the JD #19 RCPP Project Team in 2016. During the planning process, the District used the project team process to develop a project purpose and need, develop and analyze alternatives, and select a locally acceptable preferred alternative. This process included getting Concurrence Points 1-3 approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers and assisting the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with completing an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW).
The Watershed District Board of Managers approved moving forward with preliminary design which was completed on the preferred alternative centered around the East Park Wildlife Management Area (locally known as the Nelson Slough Impoundment). The proposed project consists of improving flood damage reduction and natural resource benefits on the existing Impoundment. The improvement will provide the site with capacity to hold 6,837 acre-feet of gated storage in the spring and more flexibility to operate water levels during bird nesting season. The proposed project includes replacing the existing outlet structure, raising the existing levees approximately 3.5 feet, and stabilizing several miles of JD 19 upstream and downstream of Nelson Slough.