It’s a long shot, but construction of flood protection on the lower reach of Napa Creek could start next summer.

City of Napa and county flood officials are trying to jump-start Napa Creek work rather than wait years for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which intends to complete the difficult task of relocating Napa Valley Wine Train tracks before getting going on Napa Creek.

Julie Lucido, a local flood district engineer, laid out a sequence of events Tuesday that would allow installation of large culverts on Napa Creek under Main Street next summer.

This downstream work has to occur before flood protection can be constructed upstream to protect a neighborhood of some 500 homes and businesses.

The flood district is adopting an ambitious schedule to acquire part of one property needed for lower culvert work this fall, Lucido told the flood district board. Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers is wrapping up design of Napa Creek flood defenses.

Because corps funding is lagging, the city obtained a $3 million federal grant this summer for the lower culverts and has set aside $2 million more in local funds for creek work.

In the “best of all possible worlds,” the lower culverts could be started in 2009, with upstream work, supported by additional grants, occurring in 2010, Lucido said.

The big unknown, Lucido said, is whether the city’s pot of money will be enough to cover the cost of the dual lower culverts.

These culverts are estimated to cost between $5 million and $6 million, part of a total tab of $20 million for creek work. A more refined cost projection should be ready within a month or two, Lucido said.

The city has applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a second grant to pay for culverts at the upper reach of Napa Creek, near Behrens Street. The flood district will be reapplying for a state grant to terrace banks in the middle stretch. The district was turned down earlier this summer.

Pushed by Napa Creek neighbors, local officials are trying to speed up creek work. As things now stand, the Army Corps of Engineers won’t get to the creek until 2010 or later after Wine Train tracks are relocated near downtown.

The corps wants to award a contract for railroad work by the end of September. This phase, which requires the construction of two railroad bridges, is estimated to cost $45 million.

With only $16 million or so currently available, the corps will need additional congressional allocations in future years to finance railroad work.

Because the corps is so busy with rail relocation, the city of Napa may offer to manage culvert work in the lower Napa Creek, Lucido said.