River Level Drops After Blast at Levee

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. — Last-ditch efforts to prevent a small Illinois town from flooding appeared to be working Tuesday morning, hours after the Army Corps of Engineers used explosives to tear open a protective levee. While the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, fed by punishing rains, have increasingly posed threats to nearby communities, the water level of the Ohio River in Cairo, Ill., was at 61.72 feet before the levee was breached late Monday night. By 6 a.m. Tuesday, it had fallen to 60.5 feet. For now, at least, Cairo appears to be safe.

As the flood protection systems that safeguard countless communities groaned under the pressure of rising rivers, federal officials Monday night executed a fiercely debated plan to destroy a part of the levee near Cairo that holds back water near where the Ohio pours into the Mississippi. The blast sent an estimated 550,000 cubic feet of water a second across 130,000 acres of farmland, also inundating about 90 homes near this southeast Missouri town known as the spillway.

“This doesn’t end this historic flood,” said Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh, who commands the Mississippi Valley Division of the corps, explaining that the river may rise again in a few days. “This is not the end; this is just the beginning.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/04/us/04levee.html&pagewanted=all

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. They fear farmland will be lost

This is a very controversial decision. MO governor fought hard to prevent this.

[madrchsod]

2. the state moved shawneetown ,illinois in 1937

the original town was built on the ohio river flood plain. after years of floods the state and wpa moved the town to higher ground.

it`s time for the state and federal government to move cairo.

[Xithras]

12. Or raise it.

Sacramento California was built at the confluence of the American and Sacramento rivers, and used to experience horrific flooding. Rather than move the city, they simply elevated it. First floors became basements, etc. It worked too...even though it sits at the junction of two of the wests larger rivers, Old Sacramento hasn't seen major flooding in a century, even while other parts of the Valley were inundated.

[Devil_Fish]

3. If you live in a town called "Spillway" perhaps you shouldn't be supprised...NT

[RedCloud]

4. When the levee breaks momma you gotta move.

[riderinthestorm]

5. 130,000 acres of rich farmland will be lost for years, if not permanently, because of this.

As a farmer, I'm glued to this story. The farmers involved have sued the US Army Corps of Engineers over this move because they have basically destroyed their land for... ever? The rest of their lives? A decade? Nobody knows.

All to save a community that probably should have never been placed there in the first place. I deeply feel for these communities but our farmland is a precious resource that can't withstand this abuse. Besides, other households (90+) now also lost the Army Corps lottery and are now flooded.

We are destroying our earth's resources to protect Cairo IL. We need to re-configure our priorities. Can Cairo become a vibrant city 10 miles up the hill? Was blowing up the levee worth it to preserve Cairo in it's present location and destroy 130,000 acres of farmland in the process?

[freshwest]

6. I agree, but the immediate threat to people prevailed. Sometime back, there was..

Pressure from the federal government on this issue. Those within flood plains had to move above the plain and let the farmland take the floods. This wasn't a natural event because of the levees. If you're speaking of pollution to the farmland, that also happens when it's a natural flood. We have toxic materials everywhere.

There are so many people there are few places to use, compared to the years when these levees were initially built. In my region, the flood plains, or land above the water table with various problems entailed in those locations, are the only places that some can take the chance to own rural property, so they take the risk.

I wish we'd adopt a system more like what Europe has done. They have farm areas that are smaller than what we have, but the people live on the outskirts in houses that take up less space. They have more people in cities inj highrises, not just the luxury ones, and they make up for people giving up the country living with transportation allowing them to visit easily. At least that's what my friends tell me.

We have to get our priorities straight. Water and soil and all that arise from them are far more important than oil, gas and electricity. Or profit or ther things people think they must have. That is what we have to get back to thinking about. Or die.

[Nihil]

7. It's in a flood plain ...

Just what did people think was going to happen to a flood plain when the
river level gets too high?

How do those farmers think the nice rich soil got there in the first place?
In plastic bags delivered by lorries?

:shrug:

[riderinthestorm]

8. No! This is a tsunami of sand, garbage, debris

and other toxic shit that's rushing over these fields in a completely unnatural way - all to save a small town of 3000 people. That farmland isn't going to be enriched by all that sand and silt and garbage and debris, it's going to be unusable for a very, very, very long time. If it was the slow natural rise of the river, the flood plain can and does bounce back. But this is nothing like that.

I feel for them but wiping out 130,000 acres of fertile farmland (while other areas like California are in such a drought) seems like a pretty stupid move.

[Nihil]

9. Suggestion: Don't dump "garbage, debris and other toxic shit" in the river ...

... and you don't get it dumped back out on the fields downstream.

If that's what's happening (rather than mainly river sediment)
then I hope that people *do* make a big fuss - not about the flooding
but about the crap that is currently being ignored because it's been
"someone else's problem" until now.

If it takes this to get people to start obeying anti-pollution laws
then it's a damn good trade-off that will benefit everyone.

Yep, it's a shame.
Yep, it's only too avoidable.

:shrug:

[riderinthestorm]

10. I'm not sure it's from dumping. It's the junk from the houses that flooded

in Cairo, plus the junk and debris from the other houses within the 130,000 acres that are now flooded, and the flooded towns' junk from further upstream plus power lines, cables, gravel, sand etc.

This land traditionally WAS and IS a flood plain. I'm not disputing that at all. But there's a difference between a natural flood that takes away usage for a season, and what the Army Corps of Engineers just did here.

Yup, a shame and avoidable, no question. :hi:

[apnu]

11. Or how about if there was no levee? The land would have flooded several times between no and 1937.

Which is the last time the levee was intentionally breeched.

Let's also not forget that these farmers have been compensated by the Federal Government since the 1920's when the levee was built for this very purpose. The plan was re-ratified by the sate of MO in the mid 1980s. I fail to see how the farmers have a legal leg to stand on.