Levee 2 Board Looks At Old, New Projects; Picks JLC Members

By MARK EVANS

STE. GENEVIEVE HERALD

Members of the Levee District No. 2 board reviewed accomplishments of the past year and looked at goals for the coming year, during the board’s annual meeting on August 18. They also selected two members to serve on a new Joint Levee Commission

LEVEE REPAIR ‘MOVING FORWARD’

Repair to the Riverside Levee, which suffered more damage in 2019, after being breached by the New Year’s Eve 2015 flash flood and finally repaired in 2018, was one of the biggest projects.

“The last word I got,  I talked to a job manager with the Corps  of Engineers and he anticipated tat we would be doing something within the next two weeks,” Kertz said.

He added that, “Right now, everything looks real favorable.”

“ The river’s low; the rain’s stopped for a little while,” he said. “So, we’re hoping they get started. The lower the river is, the less sand it takes – and that’ll probably be the job that takes the longest. Once they start, it should go pretty quick.”

“It looks like that’s moving forward,” he said.

OTHER PROJECTS SHOULD BE DONE

He said a bulldozer provided by the Southeast Missouri Workforce Development Board [WDB] is being used to clear brush away from the levee. Progress had been slowed down because the operator provided by the WDB has taken another job and is only able to work part-time. He added that WDB money is available for a medium-sized skid steer, as well.

He said the district is also working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service [NRCS] on a ditch-clearing project.

He said some surveying is being done to determine which ditches have been filled in and need cleaning out.

Another project is the Dodge Creek culvert pipe. It will go in the ditch between Highway 61 and the railroad track.

Jokerst, Inc., was a warded the bid and should be starting the job soon, Kertz said.

The temporary levee extension at Mitchell Island, meanwhile, has been removed.

“It’s been underwater so much and is so wet, we haven’t been able to do that,” Kertz said.

It has also been awarded to Jokerst, Inc.,

“We’re hoping that they’ll get both of those jobs done sometime in the next couple, three weeks,” Kertz said.

Additionally, dirt that had been removed from a ditch going toward the  Marina de Gabouri, still needs to be leveled.

The contractor should be getting onto it within a week or so, Kertz said.

New pipes will also be installed there, this month, Kertz said.

“The old pipes were too small and too short for the depth of the ditch, so we have two pipes purchased  and we’ll have them installed at the same time the contractor finishes the leveling of the dirt,” Kertz explained.

Finally, there is the levee spur near the marina. Levee District No. 2 is working with Levee District No. 3 to build the spur.

“Right now we’re in the process of getting all the permitting from the Corps and also getting the preliminary studies,” Kertz said, “everything fro the dirt underneath to artifacts, to,I believe, even the river level changes it might make, to make sure we’re not raising the river level on anybody else. That’s the process we’re going through right now.”

PUMP, DITCH AMONG UPCOMING PROJECTS

Kertz reported that the 30-inch pump has been vibrating and making noise. This fall he wants to send it to St. Louis to be repaired.

“The gear head has been underwater several times this year and we’re not too sure about the condition of the bearings,” Kertz said.

Regraveling the top of the levee after it is finished also needs to be done.

As far as long-term projects go, moving the pump from Mitchell Island to an area by the marina, is definitely one.

Also, a ditch outside the levee, midway down it, that drains through the levee is “choked up.” It will be cleaned out.