|
Home
Study Area
Study Background
Study Status
Project Fact Sheet
Peer Review Plan
Frequently
Asked Questions
News
Releases
Events (Current &
Past)
Points of Contact
Related
Documents & Links
|
Cedar
River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Study Status
November 16, 2011
Corps of Engineers and City of Cedar Rapids representatives,
approximately 20 percent into the Pre-construction Engineering
and Design (PED) phase of the project, presented a status update
and solicited public feedback at Open House meetings.
The presentation slides and Google-Earth files used for
the meeting can be found on our “Related
Documents & Links” page. Thirty five percent
design is targeted for spring 2012, at which time there will be
an interim City and Corps review of the plans and specifications
that have been developed up to that point.
As of this date, no additional funding has been made
available for the project since Fiscal Year 2011; however, the
Corps and the City are working on an Amendment to the Design
Agreement which would allow the Corps to accept accelerated
non-federal funding to keep going with the PED phase even if
federal appropriations are delayed.
June 29, 2011
The Office of Management and Budget completed their review of
the Chief’s Report and transmitted it to Congress.
This makes the Cedar Rapids Flood Risk Management Project
eligible to appear in the President’s Budget.
January 13, 2011
The Chief’s Report was finalized, incorporating comments from
the State and Agency Review, and was signed by Lieutenant
General Van Antwerp, the Chief of Engineers. The Chief’s Report
can be found on our “Related
Documents & Links” site.
December 10, 2010
The City of Cedar Rapids and the Corps of Engineers entered into
a Design Agreement for the Pre-construction Engineering and
Design (PED) phase of the project.
The estimated cost of the PED phase is $12,375,000,
funded at 75 percent federal and 25 percent City responsibility.
As of Fiscal Year 2011 (01 OCT 2010 to 30 SEP 2011),
$2,820,000 of federal and $857,333 of City funding was
available, or approximately 30 percent of the funding necessary
to complete the PED phase.
November 2010
On November 18, 2010, the
United States Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District,
along with representatives of the City of Cedar Rapids presented
the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Flood Risk Management
Project Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Report with
Integrated Environmental Assessment to the Corps' Civil Works
Review Board (CWRB) in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the
meeting was to gain approval by the CWRB to release the final
version of the Study for State and Agency (S&A) Review.
Colonel Shawn McGinley,
Commander, Rock Island District (District), provided the
District’s briefing of the Cedar River Feasibility Study. This
was followed by statements of support from the City, represented
by Mayor Ron Corbett, and Mr. Jeff Pomeranz, City Manager; Linn
County, Iowa, represented by Ms. Lu Barron, County Supervisor;
and Rebuild Iowa Office, represented by Executive Director Major
General (Retired) Ron Dardis.
MG Michael J. Walsh,
Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, provided Division
concurrence with the District Commander’s Recommended Plan and
recommended approval of the final Study and release of the Study
for S&A Review.
The CWRB voted unanimously
for contingent release of the Study for S&A Review, subject to
including the additional Study documentation requested in the
Office of Water Project Review (OWPR) staff recommendation.
The Feasibility Study was
issued for S&A Review on November 23, 2010. The S&A Review
period ended on December 23, 2010.
October 2010
The United States Army
Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, in partnership with
the City of Cedar Rapids has distributed the Cedar River, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, Flood Risk Management Project Flood Risk
Management Project Feasibility Report with Integrated
Environmental Assessment for Policy Review. The document is
similar in many respects to the Public Review Draft with the
notable exception that the Policy Review Draft includes the
Statement of Findings.
August 31, 2010
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, Rock Island District, in partnership with the City of
Cedar Rapids, completed the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Flood Risk Management Project Feasibility Report with Integrated
Environmental Assessment, Public Review Draft. This document
presented the evaluation of flood risk management alternatives
for the City of Cedar Rapids. The report was available for
public review and comment for a 30-day period beginning Aug. 31
and ending Sept. 30, 2010.
The Draft Feasibility Report summarized data collection
activities, economic evaluations, benefit-cost ratios and net
benefits for the array of flood risk management alternatives for
the City, and identified the tentatively selected federally
Supportable Plan. The Federally Supportable Plan includes
construction of 3.15 miles of levees, flood walls and closure
structures to protect properties on the east bank of the Cedar
River.
Copies of the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Flood Risk
Management Project Feasibility Study with Integrated
Environmental Assessment, Public Review Draft were mailed to
individuals on the study's mailing list, and were also made
available to the general public for comment.
December 28, 2009
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers Rock Island District, in partnership with the City of
Cedar Rapids, continued to review and evaluate flood risk
management alternatives for the City. The Corps completed a
preliminary analysis for an alternative that mirrored the City
of Cedar Rapids’ preferred plan. This alternative included
levees and floodwalls on both sides of the Cedar River built to
June 2008 record flood levels.
The preliminary analysis of
this alternative showed a Benefit-to-Cost Ratio of less than 1.
This cost ratio means that the estimated cost to provide flood
risk management protection under this alternative is more than
the estimated benefits. The law requires a project to have
a favorable Benefit-to-Cost Ratio of more than 1 to move
forward.
Under the Cedar Rapids
Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study, additional analysis was
conducted to determine if a cost-effective flood risk management
alternative, with positive net benefits, could be recommended by
the Corps of Engineers to Congress for authorization and
construction. Additional study analysis included modifications
to the City of Cedar Rapids’ preferred plan, modified levee
alignments, and flood proofing.
The Corps’ planning process
evaluates and compares alternative plans to determine which
alternative has the greatest net national economic development
(NED) benefits. The NED analysis uses a national process to
determine potential Corps of Engineers involvement in water
resource projects. The NED analysis includes the probability of
flood-induced damages to residential and non-residential
properties, costs for emergency operations during floods, and
damages to infrastructure.
Following the review of all
alternatives, the Corps developed a Draft Feasibility Report in
June 2010, summarizing all data collection and economic
evaluations, benefit-to-cost ratios and net benefits for the
array of alternatives, and indicated a Corps of Engineers
recommendation to Congress for a flood risk management project
on the east side of the river. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
determination that the NED benefits are less than the
alternatives’ costs, resulting in no recommendation, does not
prevent a project from being authorized by Congress and
constructed by the Corps of Engineers.
November 4, 2009
As the June 2008 flood
waters receded the Rock Island District became fully engaged in
the Cedar River, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Feasibility Study, and we
were about 30% complete with our study effort.
The Project Delivery Team
(PDT) gathered relevant project data and developing
alternatives. To this date, the study had received $2.5 million
in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds and an
additional $2 million in contributions from the local
non-federal sponsor (city of Cedar Rapids).
On June 6, 2009, at Sen.
Tom Harkin’s request, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division (MVD), Rock Island
District (MVR) and the city of Cedar Rapids briefed the Senator
on the status of the Corps' feasibility study. One of the
principal outcomes of this meeting was to accelerate the
Feasibility Study completion schedule, with Brigadier General
Michael Walsh, MVD Commander, setting a December 2010 due date
for the completion of the Chief of Engineer’s Report. To aid in
meeting this objective, the Corps study team’s capabilities were
augmented with the services of consultants in several technical
disciplines.
|
