The Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District, completed construction on the Chain of Rocks East Canal Levee last week, making it the first part of the Metro East levees restored to its full level of protection.
The federally-owned and operated Chain of Rocks levee is a nine-mile segment of the East St. Louis levee system. The system, located in St. Clair and Madison Counties, Illinois, protects many communities including Edwardsville, Granite City, Pontoon Beach, East St. Louis and Cahokia.
Comprised of 28.6 miles of levees, pump stations, closure structures and other features, it protects more than 86,000 acres of commercial, industrial and residential properties.
The East St. Louis levee is part of the larger Metro East levee system. Combined, these levees protect more than 250,000 residents and workers, as well as property and critical infrastructure valued in excess of $7.2 billion. During the flood of 1993 and subsequent floods, sand boils developed along a large portion of the Metro East levees, indicative of underseepage problems.
The completed Chain of Rocks project is the first segment in the Metro East urban levee system restored to provide the Congressionally-authorized level of protection.