RIGBY, Idaho – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors plan to begin work Saturday, Sept. 15, to rehabilitate flood-damaged areas of the Heise-Roberts Levee System, located near Rigby, Idaho, on the upper Snake River between Jefferson and Madison counties.
The levee was damaged in multiple locations by sustained high flows during the 2017 and 2018 flood seasons.
The Corps’ Walla Walla District awarded a contract on Jun 29, 2018, to S.E.A. Construction LLC, a registered competitive, woman-owned, small business in Raymond, Washington, for approximately $1.79 million to repair the levee. The rehabilitation project will require about six weeks to complete.
"We are looking forward to completion of these vital repairs and appreciate the support of our federal partners,” said Jefferson County Emergency Manager Rebecca Squires. “While the work is underway, residents may expect an increase in heavy truck traffic. We encourage motorists to give these trucks plenty of space on the road, understanding that they don't speed up or slow down quickly."
The Corps of Engineers has authority under Public Law 84-99 to supplement local efforts in the repair of both federal (Corps-constructed, locally operated and maintained) and non-federal (constructed by non-federal interests or by the Work Projects Administration) flood risk management projects damaged by flooding events. Several criteria must be met to satisfy eligibility for flood rehabilitation assistance, including participation in the National Levee Safety Program and complying with maintenance standards.
In May 2018, the Corps conducted an emergency flood fight to stabilize a severely eroded area of the levee near Lorenzo, Idaho. Information, photos and video of the emergency repair are available on the Walla Walla District website --
http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/1530771/18-051-heise-roberts-levee-emergency-flood-fight-completed-just-in-time/.
For more information about the Corps’ PL 84-99 programs, visit the District’s Flood Assistance webpage
www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Flood-Assistance.
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