Memphis District Deputy Commander, Lt. Col. Robert Green, district leadership, project delivery team members, and district partners celebrated the completion of three district projects in Missouri and Arkansas on Sept. 29, 2022.
The first site visit to Locust Creek in Craighead County, Arkansas, was to celebrate a channel cleanout project.
The creek is part of the St. Francis River Basin and required approximately 12,000 linear feet of sediment removal. A $1,289,305 contract was awarded to Innovative Performance Construction Company to complete the needed two miles of excavation.
"The purpose of this project was to improve drainage along the Locust Creek area," Wynn Area Office Civil Engineer Jason Britt said. "Improvements to drainage will reduce standing water upstream of the project area, thereby reducing the amount of standing water against the levees."
To clear the creek, the contractor removed material from the channel using a dragline before placing the excavated material in the levee as Excavated Material Embankment (EME).
In partnership with the St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas, construction began on Oct. 15, 2021. It was declared substantially complete on Jul. 9, 2022.
Congratulations to all involved in completing such a vital project. Special thanks to our partner, the St. Francis Levee District of Arkansas, for their unwavering support during this project as well as throughout our many years of partnership.
Following Locust Creek, the group held a ribbon-cutting for a project located along the St. Francis River in Dunklin County, Missouri.
This St. Francis River project, also known as "Below Highway 412", aimed to alleviate backwater effects on the St. Francis River and Big Slough.
The Memphis District completes debris removal projects regularly. Still, this project was unique because, according to Britt, "All the clearing, snagging, and excavation work for below 412 was performed by floating plant. Barges were trucked in and placed in the waterway by crane, and an excavator was placed on the barge, then moved up the channel with a crew boat."
Britt also said that spuds kept the barge in place as it worked to clear the channel.
"We used two other barges to ferry debris and fill material back to the landing," he added. "Fill was then offloaded from these barges with an excavator onto dump trailers and later transported to a spoils area."
To complete the project, the Memphis District awarded MIA General Contracting a $2.4 million contract. Additionally, the district partnered with non-federal sponsor Levee District No. 4 of Dunklin County, with Brad Williams serving on the board and working closest with the project delivery team.
Upon completion, the team cleared and snagged a total of 5,000 linear feet of the area and cleaned out approximately 3,500 linear feet of the channel. As a result, the project met substantial completion in June 2022, four months ahead of schedule.
Congratulations and many thanks to all involved in making this project a success, especially our project sponsor, Levee District No. 4 of Dunklin County.
Wrapping up the day was another ribbon-cutting at the Elk Chute Levee project site in Dunklin County, Missouri, approximately 10 miles northwest of Blytheville, Arkansas.
In discussing the project, Project Manager Jairus Stroupe explained that, "The Elk Chute Levee System protects over 47,000 acres in Southeast Missouri."
He continued explaining that the project's purpose was to reduce flood risk, lessen flood damages, and decrease flood protection costs resulting from flood events within the St. Francis River Basin.
Another important aspect of this project is that it brings existing infrastructure into compliance with current Engineering Manuals (EMs) and Engineering Regulations (ERs). It also provides the Levee District with increasingly maintainable infrastructure.
The project's scope involved renovating a 5-mile levee segment. It also replaced 25 of the existing culverts with four 'cast-in-place' reinforced concrete box culvert systems.
"Ultimately, this project addressed potential hazards that posed a significant threat to human life and public safety," Stroupe added.
The district awarded a $14.8 million contract to Dumey Contracting, Inc., to complete the project.
Project delivery team members were fortunate to execute this project in partnership with the Elk Chute Drainage District of Missouri. Without their assistance, this project would not have been possible.
Sept. 29, 2022, was a day filled with lots of "thumbs up," smiles, handshakes, and the satisfaction of reviewing and discussing several instances of 'jobs well done.'
Days like these are significant. They are valuable as this is when the district and its partners come together to recognize how remarkable every single project is to the Nation. A completed project is value-added; the Memphis District has always operated under this concept.
Congratulations again to all project delivery team members, leadership, district partners, and the district members who played a role in completing these invaluable projects. Your work is appreciated, and your dedication is valued.