The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District invites public comments on an Emmett levee system repair project environmental assessment (EA). Comments are due by March 20.
The Corps proposes to repair a section of the Emmett levee system on the Payette River near Emmett, Idaho. The Emmett levee system is located in rural Gem County, Idaho, and was damaged by high flows in April 2012. The levee provides 50-year level flood protection to 106 acres of land with 209 residential, commercial and light industrial structures south of the Payette River. The total value of structures protected by the levee is $37 million.
Without repair, these levees would continue to erode and may eventually fail, leading to the loss of private property and public infrastructure.
On April 30, 2012, the flood control district requested assistance from Corps to repair the damaged levee. As a federally constructed levee system, locally maintained to acceptable standards under the National Levee Safety Program, the Emmett levee system is eligible for emergency assistance from the Corps.
The Corps invites public comments on an environmental assessment that evaluates alternatives and documents the environmental effects of the proposed repair project. The EA will also determine if an environmental impact statement (EIS) is necessary.
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Press Release, March 8, 2013