SACRAMENTO, Calif. –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District is getting ready to begin two flood risk reduction projects along the American River this summer, and is inviting nearby residents to attend a series of public outreach meetings at Sacramento State’s Alumni Center.
Corps officials will host three public meetings June 12, July 10 and July 31 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each night to explain construction procedures and answer questions about the work planned. No major road closures are planned and the American River Parkway Trail will remain open, though several access points will be periodically closed throughout construction.
The Howe Avenue Levee Raise Project, set to begin the week of July 23, involves raising levee heights an average of one foot and improving the waterside levee slope along the north bank of the American River, running from Howe Avenue east to the Kadema Drive trail access ramp. This project is expected to be complete by November 2012.
Around mid-August, construction crews will close a gap in an existing levee seepage cutoff wall between the Campus Commons Golf Course and the Northrop Avenue trail access. This project is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2012.
The Corps has built more than 20 miles of cutoff walls into American River levees since 2000. Cutoff walls strengthen levees and help prevent water from leaking through or under them. Areas where construction was complicated by utilities, bridges or power lines were set aside for later construction. The Corps has improved 15 of the 30 areas so far, and expects to complete construction at two more by the end of 2012.
“Lowering Sacramento’s flood risk is a top priority,” said project manager John Hoge. “We’re reaching out to make sure residents know what to expect with the construction and to let them know that what we’re doing will improve their safety.”
Both projects are part of the American River Common Features Program, a joint effort between the Corps, the state’s Central Valley Flood Protection Board and Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, to reduce flood risk throughout the region.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District provides planning, engineering, project management, environmental restoration and construction services to military and civilian customers in parts of eight western states, including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.
Sacramento State Alumni Center Public Meetings
6000 J St, Sacramento, CA
FREE PARKING
Tuesday, June 12; 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, July 10; 6-8 p.m.
Tuesday, July 31; 6-8 p.m.
Release no. 2012-P-018