Birds Point reconstruction underway

The Army Corps of Engineers began repairs to the Birds Point levee on Thursday.

The six-member crew’s first task is to smooth the levee at the crevasses. They will then bring each crevasse to a river level of 51 feet at the Cairo gauge.

Corps spokesperson Jim Pogue says that no time table has been set to restore the levee is its previous condition.

“This is an interim step that at least will restore some level of protection to the area. Then as funding becomes available we’ll be looking at the full reset back to the original condition of the levee,” Pogue said.

Pogue says that the Corps still has some design steps and a environmental clearances that must be completed before the levee is brought back to its original height.

Engineers are also working to remove leftover explosive slurry that is still present at the crevasses.

The current operation is being funded by federal dollars instead of money offered by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to fund a temporary levee.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Posted in: Army Corps of Engineers,Birds Point,Jim Pogue