The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, yesterday successfully completed the initial breach closure on levee breach L-601-C, an inlet breach near Bartlett, Iowa.
A priority breach impacting the I-29 corridor was identified and determined eligible for emergency operations flood fighting direct assistance, said USACE.
These initial repairs are directed at stopping the flow from the Missouri River into the area behind the levee system and providing an incremental level of flood risk management.
“This breach closure brings us one step closer to a closed system and restoration of the flood risk reduction system on the Missouri River,” said Matt Krajewski, Chief of the Omaha District’s Readiness Branch.
The original contract of $8.5 million was awarded to Newt Marine Service of Dubuque, Iowa on May 14, 2019, and construction began May 15.
There are more than 500 miles of levees on the Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn rivers, and tributaries that have experienced significant flood damage since March 2019, said USACE. Due to the magnitude of damage along these levees, repair of the levee system efforts will take an extended period of time to execute.