Salina City Commissioners Monday evening approved a plan to take care of a massive log jam along the Smoky Hill River at Bill Burke Park.

A contract with Diehl Enterprises for the removal of sediment and tree debris, in an amount not to exceed $452,351, was approved. Debris removal for the project is scheduled to be substantially completed within six weeks.

According to the City, On June 17th heavy rain was received in McPherson and Ellsworth counties and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for the Smoky Hill River. The increased flow in the streams flushed tree debris into the Smoky Hill River. A large amount of this tree debris accumulated in front of the Scour Key/Weir Wall and adjacent to the City’s surface water intake structure located at Bill Burke Park

On July 10th a damage assessment was submitted by Saline County Emergency Management. On July 15, 2025, Saline County signed a disaster declaration for th flooding incident.

The large-scale log jam caused by the flooding resulted in significant impact to infrastructure and presents complex recovery challenges. The magnitude and location of the debris area poses a threat to public safety due to unstable conditions and ongoing public access to Bill Burke Park, which creates the potential for injury or loss of life.

The scale of the debris removal required exceeds local capabilities and resources, and the situation is further compounded by the public safety risks associated with individuals exploring the log jam pile.

The City’s criteria is to clear the debris from the Smoky Hill River and to transport it to the Salina Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the area used for equipment and material storage for the recent WWTP construction project.

Due to the flood events of last week, additional Debris is accumulating in the channel. The contingency is not intended to cover the cost of the additional accumulation. Once the quantity of the additional debris is determined, a change order will be prepared and submitted to the City Commission for review and approval.

At this time, staff is not aware of any disaster relief funding.