OMAHA, Neb. — In partnership with the city of Schuyler, Neb. and the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed construction of a 2.2-mile levee along Shell Creek, north and east of Schuyler. This milestone will be celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 21, 2015 at 10 a.m. at the site of the new levee along Old Highway 30 (now Road E) near East 22nd Street by the old drive-in movie theatre.
“This project involved extensive collaboration between the Omaha District, project sponsors, the contractor, landowners impacted by the project, and residents affected by years of flooding from Shell Creek,” said Mark Nelson, project manager with the Corps of Engineers. "This new levee adheres to Federal Emergency Management Agency floodplain regulations and once accredited, will benefit Schuyler residents in the protected area with greatly reduced flood insurance premiums,” according to Nelson.
Schuyler Mayor Dave Reinecke and Omaha District Commander Joel Cross will be among the guest speakers at the ribbon-cutting. In the event of inclement weather, opening remarks will be provided at the Oak Ballroom, 175 Higgins Drive in Schuyler.
BACKGROUND: Schuyler, the county seat for Colfax County, was 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 2008 and 2010, major flooding from Shell Creek caused extensive property damage in the northeastern part of the city. 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. A construction contract for the Shell Creek levee was awarded in September 2013 to TJC Engineering, Inc. of Louisville, KY for $3 million with ground breaking on the 2.2-mile levee in March 2014.