Army Corps of Engineers proposes levee repair project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to repair three sections of the Heise-Roberts levee system on the Snake River. The system was damaged by high river flows in 2011.
Located just off US 20 at the Jefferson-Madison County line, the levee protects a bed and breakfast, the approach to a railroad line, a highway bridge, a wetland complex, and a canal system. Without repair, Corps engineers said the levees would continue to erode and may eventually fail, leading to the loss of private property and public infrastructure.
Because it is a federally constructed levee system, the project is eligible for emergency assistance. The flood control district requested assistance from the Corps August 31, 2011.
Public comments on an environmental assessment of the work are due by January 29. That assessment will evaluate alternatives and the environmental effects of the project. It will also determine if a full environmental impact statement is required.
The EA and draft Finding of No Significant Impact are available for viewing or downloading at http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/HeiseRobertsLeveeSystem.aspx.
Public comments should be postmarked or e-mailed no later than Monday, Jan. 29, to (e-mail) charles.b.chamberlain@usace.army.mil; or (mailing address) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CENWW-PD-EC, ATTN: Charles Chamberlain EA, 201 North 3rd Ave., Walla Walla, WA 99362.
