Cash Strapped for Levee Repair

December 13, 2011 8:32 AM

WYATT, MO – MAY 03: Floodwater flows over the Birds Point levee after the Army Corps of Engineers blew a massive hole in it to divert water from the town of Cairo, Illinois May 3, 2011 near Wyatt, Missouri. The diversion flooded about 130,000 acres of Missouri farmland and 100 homes in the state. Heavy rains have left the ground saturated, rivers swollen, and has caused widespread flooding in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas. (GettyScott Olson)

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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently has only enough money available to fix 11 of 68 Missouri River levees and is draining extra water from upstream reservoirs to nurse the flood-battered system through 2012.

Officials made the announcement Monday during a meeting of the Missouri River Flood Task Force in suburban Kansas City. The damaged levees are located in Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas.

The corps says the $68 million available is sufficient only to help pay for the most crucial projects. The goal is to fix those levees at least enough to protect against a 25-year flood, although many previously provided 100-year flood protection.

John Leighow of the corps says it would cost $253 million to make all the repairs needed in the Missouri River Basin.