Posted on August 7, 2023
OMAHA, Neb. — A draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment (IFR/EA) has been prepared for the Willow Creek, Missouri Valley, IA Section 205 Feasibility Study is available for public comment.
The feasibility study is being conducted under Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948 which allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to construct projects to reduce damages caused by flooding.
During the feasibility phase, USACE will ask the public for its input on the project and conduct a variety of detailed environmental, economic, and engineering analyses to develop possible solutions that are beneficial to the public, economically viable and environmentally acceptable.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft IFR/EA which is available for viewing at: https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Planning/Planning-Projects/MoValleyIA/.
Comments can be mailed to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District; CENWO-PMA-A; ATTN: Rachel Williams PMA-A; 1616 Capitol Avenue; Omaha, NE 68102-4901. Comments can also be emailed to: cenwo-cw-planningoutreach@usace.army.mil. All comments must be postmarked or received no later than September 4, 2023.
BACKGROUND: Missouri Valley, including large areas between Interstate 29 and the bluff line north of Highway 30, is subject to frequent flooding from Willow Creek and the Boyer River. Willow Creek, a tributary of the Boyer River, flows along the west side of Missouri Valley while the Boyer River flows along the east and south sides of the city.
Levees along these stretches are non-engineered spoil banks that have been evaluated by the USACE but not certified and only provide a 10-year level of flood risk management. In May 2007 during a high flow event, spoil bank levees along Willow Creek failed upstream of Missouri Valley and flooded homes and businesses contributing to an estimated $3 million in damages. During a September 2014 high flow event, a spoil bank levee along the Boyer River breached approximately two miles east of Missouri Valley near U.S. Highway 30. Roughly 70 people along a four-block stretch were forced to evacuate.
