Engineers make progress on Jefferson County levee

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers met with contractors Saturday at a quarry near the Heise-Roberts levee system on the Snake River in Jefferson County. A contract was awarded Friday to provide material for levee repairs on an eroded area of the Snake River near Lorenzo.

Engineers say the erosion threatens the structural integrity of the levee and about 65 homes nearby.

As of Sunday afternoon, contractors had repaired about two-thirds of the 300-foot-long by 15-foot-wide section of eroded levee, according to the Corps of Engineers. The levee has been eroded more than 20 feet in height from the top of the levee. About 8 feet of the levee is visible above the water’s surface.