Levee Protecting Des Moines Neighborhood Almost Done

Work on a levee protecting a Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood that flooded twice since 1993 is almost finished.

A contract for reconstruction work on the Birdland levee on the Des Moines River was awarded in March 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on Nov. 15. Final grading and seeding still need to be done.

The levee was added to the corps’ waiting list for upgrades after floods hit Des Moines in 1993 and 2008.

Work continues on another levee in Des Moines, the Central Place levee. Earlier this year, the corps decided to raise the height of both levees after a study suggested that major floods are more likely that previously thought.

The total cost of the two projects is about $20 million.