The study area spanned from Big Goose Creek to the fairgrounds and behind Sheridan High School; the draw is a body of water in the area.

WET formulated several Hume Draw preliminary management recommendations so the city can begin addressing issues or concerns that are easier or cheaper to fix.

“This low-hanging fruit as far as clearing culverts, clearing trash racks, fixing the erosion, as well as gate valves. I feel like that can really help the system as a whole,” Passini said. “And from that, we can establish further recommendations if said issues are still present.”

Some of the easier fixes include a beaver dam near a spillway in the draw, a breached dam, broken gate valves and several clogged trash racks.

Passini said the firm will continue its flood control analysis, implement feedback into management recommendations and develop operational, maintenance and master plans for the city. The final analysis, Passini added, will be submitted to the city in Spring 2024.

The master plan will ultimately guide future improvements of the Hume Draw to improve its functionality.

“If the pond is functioning (as it was constructed), we feel that there’s going to be a big improvement in the system as a whole,” WET senior consultant Mike Terry said.

The master plan, which will also implement community and agency concerns, can then be used by the city of Sheridan and Sheridan County Conservation District to pursue grants to help pay for improvements recommended by the plan.

“This master plan is going to be, pretty much, our guide for going (out) for these grants,” city engineer Thomas Morneau said.

Sheridan City Council voted unanimously during its May 15 meeting to award the assessment to WET’s Sheridan office. The bid was for $48,500; $35,000 of which was paid for by a grant from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the remaining costs were paid for by the city’s direct distribution funds.