Millions in state grant money were announced last week to cover repairs to the most heavily damaged river levees during last summer’s record flooding, including the Rushville/Sugar Lake levee in southern Buchanan County. Damage to the South Side and Halls levees was not as severe, but will require repairs and reseeding.

It appears volunteers in the neighborhood will start that effort.

Buchanan County Western District Commissioner Ron Hook says the two districts are not as high on the priority list as some of the levees that breached, but he hopes to get grant funds to pay for the projects.

In the meantime, Hook says a number of volunteers including farmers and other residents in the area will be repairing scours and other flood damage. Hook says he hopes that effort will count toward the 20% match required by the Corps of Engineers for them to finish the repairs.

We spoke with Hook near the Rushville/Sugar Lake levee.