Work Resumes on Repairing Union Dike Levee

Business & Finance

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, resumed work on the Union Dike levee breach repair, near Valley, Nebraska, after a one day weather-caused delay.

The breach has been closed and work continues to build the levee to meet federal standards.

Work is expected to take a total of six work days to complete and is scheduled to be completed Friday.

There are more than 350 miles of levees on the Missouri, Platte, and Elkhorn Rivers and tributaries that have experienced significant flood damage. Due to the magnitude of damage along these levees, repair of the levee system efforts will take an extended period of time to execute.

According to the Corps, the majority of the levee system south of Omaha remains compromised and vulnerable due to record inflows surpassing their designed protection levels.

As of 1130 today, there are 52 confirmed full/partial breaches at L611-614 (South of Council Bluffs, IA), L-601 (South of Glenwood, IA), L-594 (near Fremont County, IA), L-575 (Fremont County, IA), L-550 (Atchison County, MO), L-536 (Atchinson County, Mo), R-613 (Sarpy County), R-562 (Nemaha County, NE), Clear Creek (Ashland, NE), Union Levee (Valley, NE), and R-573 (Otoe County, NE). There is only one levee that remains overtopping, L-550.

The Omaha District is currently providing technical assistance in multiple locations.

In Sioux Fall and Dell Rapids, South Dakota, a team is providing assistance for high flow and snow melt along the Big Sioux and Little Sioux Rivers. In Clear Creek, Nebraska, a team is assisting with breach closures.

Technical assistance is being given to Hamburg, Iowa for the Ditch six levee. There are also teams providing both direct and technical assistance to Watertown, South Dakota and Pacific Junction, Iowa. Additionally, there are teams offering technical assistance to Council Bluff, Iowa, Saunders County, Nebraska, and Dodge County, Nebraska.