A pump station crucial to the city's planned $30-$35 million water-treatment plant at Jackson Springs could get hung up in a conflict between Mayor Alan Hanks and state Game, Fish & Parks Department officials over that agency's proposed development at Cleghorn Springs Fish Hatchery.

The city needs to tear down the existing pump station, which sits in the flood way along Rapid Creek in violation of recently updated city flood plain ordinances. Hanks and other city officials want to rebuild the station, which is expected to cost from $500,000 to $1 million, on adjoining land at the fish hatchery.

But that would require a favor from GF&P in the form of an easement on hatchery grounds. And Hanks has all but rejected a GF&P request for a favor from him: cooperation on its proposal to incorporate several acres of city land across from Cleghorn Springs into a new GF&P regional office complex and outdoor learning center at the hatchery.

GF&P Wildlife Division Director Tony Leif stopped well short Wednesday of saying that approval of the pump-house easement was tied to city cooperation on the GF&P project. But he would not deny the connection, either.

"If no city property adjacent to the Cleghorn site is available for mutual efforts, then our task of incorporating the pump house into our plans for the site becomes much more difficult," Leif said. "It would be irresponsible for us not to put our agency's mission foremost in our site development plans."

Hanks has challenged the GF&P proposal for Cleghorn Springs. He doesn't like the idea of building near the creek, and believes many Rapid City residents oppose it as well.

Most new construction near the creek has been prohibited since the infamous 1972 Rapid City flood killed 238 people, most of them in the city.

"There are still an awful lot of folks who have traumatic memories of the 1972 flood," Hanks said.

Leif said Wednesday that he and GF&P Secretary Jeff Vonk understand the emotions left from the flood, and would respect those in constructing the new complex. It would be located outside of the flood way immediately adjacent to the creek and outside of the adjoining 100-year flood plain. Building designs would then put it above even the 500-year flood plain, Leif said.

"The experts tell us that we can safety construct a building on that property that would be above the 500-year flood plain," he said. "It would take a flood of really historic proportions to cause damage to that building."

The GF&P Commission has set aside $12 million for the office complex and education center. The preferred location for the site was originally 33 acres owned by Stan Adelstein and Northwestern Engineering along Sturgis Road in northwest Rapid City.

But that land, a much larger parcel than the seven to eight acres at the hatchery, appraised for more than $1.9 million. And even at reduced sale prices offered by Adelstein, GF&P has recently balked at that purchase.

Advocates of that deal, however, said Tuesday that Adelstein had dropped the sale price even further, to $1.1 million, and that they had raised $300,000 to help GF&P purchase Adelstein's property and build there. Led by construction company owner Jim Scull, they are hoping to raise even more money for the project.

Hanks likes the Adelstein land better as a site for the development. He said the city would cooperate with GF&P in incorporating the adjoining Wilderness Park into the GF&P complex.

"I think we need to partner up with Game, Fish & Parks and provide a campus at the best possible location that provides the best experience as far as an outdoor learning center," he said. "I'm not sure they have the room to do that at Cleghorn Springs."

Leif said Tuesday that the agency was open to that discussion. Meanwhile, it continues under GF&P Commission consent to pursue the Cleghorn Spring site. And how negotiations play out in that with the city could affect water development plans.

The city needs to build a treatment plant for Jackson Springs. Historically, it has provided nearly half of Rapid City's water supply and is capable of producing between 6.5 million and 7 million gallons a day. It is shut down now because of infiltration of surface water, a problem that the treatment plant will solve.

But that treated water must be pumped. The pump house must be moved. And the hatchery ground is the logical place to move it to, city Public Works Director Robert Ellis said.

The unoccupied pump house can sit in the 500-year flood plain on hatchery property - if the city can get that easement.

"We will have to work with Game, Fish & Parks in relocating," Hanks said.

Leif and Vonk are willing to talk about that, and other things as well.

"Our commissioners have spoken with great passion about having an outdoor learning center in the Rapid City community," Leif said. "Coordinated plans for a GF&P office and outdoor education complex and an upgrade to the Rapid City water-treatment facilities would be an ideal way to move forward and meet the multiple needs of the community."

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com