The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, and the city of Arcadia celebrated a significant achievement with the signing of a cost sharing agreement to construct a flood risk management project, Feb. 9.
The event occurred at Ashley Furniture’s Chapel Hill facility in Arcadia, Wisconsin with Mississippi Valley Division commander Maj. Gen. Diana Holland, St. Paul District commander Col. Karl Jansen and Arcadia Mayor Rob Reichwein.
Arcadia is located south of the Trempealeau River and is plagued by recurring flooding. The city’s central business district and Main Street were significantly flooded in 2010 and areas along Turton Creek were flooded in 2017 after a heavy rainfall.
The flood control project will use levees, floodwalls, channel modifications, closure structures, relocations and buyouts to protect Arcadia from flooding from the Trempealeau River and creeks. The project is estimated to cost $38 million, including the value of lands, of which the federal government will pay approximately $8.9 million. Design of the first phase will start this summer and it is anticipated that construction could start in 2022.
“This was a monumental step towards comprehensive flood risk mitigation for the residents and businesses of Arcadia,” Col. Karl Jansen, St. Paul District commander said. “Projects such as this one can only be completed with dedicated partnerships like what exists here.”
The Corps and city began partnering on this project in 2016. A feasibility study was completed in August 2020.
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