Feb. 9, 2016 — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Tuesday through its 2016 Annual Work Plan that $2 million has been awarded to begin the repair of Missouri River levees at St. Joseph.

Since the flood of 1993 overtopped the levee at 32.07’ and reached 29.97’ in 2011, local business and community leaders and state and national officials have worked to get funds dedicated for the design deficiency levee repair process, said Steve Johnston, Director of the Community Alliance of Saint Joseph.

The original cost to repair the levees was estimated at $33 million in 1993. In 2013, the estimate rose to $66 million after a new design review. It now stands at $70 million.

Two years ago, a collaborative effort was renewed to focus on this project. At stake are approximately 6,000 jobs, millions of dollars in capital investment and the 139th Airlift Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard.

“Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and Congressman Graves assisted on the national front,” Mr. Johnston said. “Gov. Jay Nixon, our area Missouri legislators and the Missouri General Assembly provided funding in 2014 and 2015 to assist with the effort. Over 30 area business assisted to ascertain a revised benefit /cost ratio. The key however was to get federal dollars appropriated through the Army Corps of Engineers.”

In December, Senators Blunt and McCaskill and Congressman Graves were successful in getting language into the Omnibus Bill. This language moved our process from the Corps’ New Start Construction Category to the Corps’ Annual Work Plan, Mr. Johnston said.

Corps projects require matching or sponsor funds. The Corps provides 65 percent of the funding and the sponsor gives 35 percent.