Helping prevent a repeat of the 1997 flood has been the focus of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District’s Truckee Meadows Flood Control Project ever since. Now the district’s recommended plan is a big step closer to final Corps approval, after it was approved Dec. 17 at Corps headquarters’ civil works review board.
Other government agencies and the public will now have one more chance to review the plan before it is submitted for a decision by Corps Commanding General Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick. With his signature, the study report, then called a Chief’s Report, will be ready for approval by the president’s administration and consideration for Congressional authorization and funding.
“ This has been a long time coming ,” said Corps project manager Glen Reed . “ We believe our plan provides a great opportunity for federal involvement in a valuable project for the region, and we are ecstatic to be approaching the finish line.”
The Truckee Meadows project was initially authorized by Congress in 1988, but was deferred during its design phase when increasing real estate costs made it economically unfeasible. The Corps continued to evaluate possible solutions during the intervening years, including a detailed evaluation of a locally-developed plan resulting from a community coalition process, but could not find a recommendable solution.
In 2012 the study was re-scoped to focus exclusively on flood risk management and modest recreation enhancements. The resulting plan recommends building flood risk reduction infrastructure including levees, culverts and floodwalls along the Truckee Meadows reach of the Truckee River, and would add river access points for fishing and boating, as well as picnic areas and trails.
The Truckee River Flood Management Authority is the project’s local partner, and supports the Corps plan as part of their comprehensive strategy to reduce flood risk along the Truckee River. TRFMA’s proposed plan would build upon the Corps’ recommended plan and was approved by local authorities Dec. 13.
“ We are elated with the results of the civil works review board ,” said Jay Aldean, executive director of the Truckee River Flood Management Authority . “ All of our flood board members are happy with the reception the project received at the board, and we will continue to support the Corps as they go through the rest of the approval process.”
After a last review by state and other federal agencies, the Corps’ approved plan is scheduled for Bostick’s review in April 2014.
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Press Release, December 23, 2013