Corps wants to partner with local, state agencies to rebuild Birds Point

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The Army Corps of Engineers is looking to partner with local and state leadership to repair the Birds Point levee in Mississippi and New Madrid Counties.

Governor Jay Nixon made available 3 million dollars in state funds to build a temporary levee this year. The Corps’ timeline would rebuild the levee by February or March of 2012.

Major General Bo Temple is the Army Corps of Engineer’s acting chief of engineers. He toured the floodway on Thursday with Representative Jo Ann Emerson and Colonel Vernie Reichling of the Corps’ Memphis District.

Major General Temple said he discussed Nixon’s offer with him over lunch.

"As local entities determine how they might be able to contribute to this effort to begin to restore the levees, we will work in partnership with them through what we call our 404 process, which is a local preferred solution to an issue, to work in partnership with the state and local entities to address those," Temple said.

Levee districts are proposing their levee plans to the Memphis District of the Army Corps of Engineers today and Monday, according to Representative Emerson.

Major General Temple did not rule out the possibility of installing a gate at Birds Point in the future. But he said that decision will not be made until initial repairs are made and the system is restored to its designed specifications.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Posted in: Army Corps of Engineers,Birds Point,Jay Nixon,Jo Ann Emerson,Major General Bo Temple