Omaha, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, in partnership with the city of Schuyler and the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, has begun construction of a 2.5-mile levee along Shell Creek north and east of Schuyler and is marking the occasion with a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, March 27th starting at 10:15 a.m. The formal ceremony will begin at the Oak Ballroom, 175 Higgins Drive in Schuyler. Afterwards attendees will be encouraged to gather at the dig site located near East 22nd Street and Old Highway 30 (now Road E) by the old drive-in movie theatre to break ground.
The construction contract for the Shell Creek levee was awarded in September 2013 to TJC Engineering, Inc. of Louisville, Ky. for $2.8 million and an option to that contract was awarded in January 2014 for an additional $250,000. “Work on the Shell Creek levee has begun, including some clearing and tree removal,” said Mark Nelson, project manager. “The levee is expected to be complete this fall.”
President and Owner of TJC Engineering, Inc., Tim Culp, will be a guest speaker at the groundbreaking ceremony. TJC Engineering, Inc. is a single-source provider of services designed to carry out complex construction projects and has experience working with other Corps districts around the country.
BACKGROUND: Schuyler, the county seat for Colfax County, is subject to flooding from Shell Creek, a tributary to the Platte River that lies north and east of Schuyler. Current Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Insurance Rate Maps show many portions of the city, including heavily developed areas, are within the 100-year flood plain of Shell Creek. In May 2008, a major flood from Shell Creek caused extensive property damage in the northeastern part of the city. In 2010, residents were again subjected to severe flooding in the north from Shell Creek and in the south from Lost Creek. In 2011, the Omaha District completed a flood risk management feasibility study which identified an economically feasible project consisting of a levee system along Shell Creek.
Release no. 20140325-002