Washington D.C. -  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today announced an increase in the level of federal funds authorized for the Bois Brule Levee from $15 million to $25 million. The authorization is included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which Emerson supported and which passed in the House of Representatives yesterday evening.

 

“The increase in the authorizing level will enable Congress to fully fund this project through future appropriations bills.  Bois Brule is a major project along the Mississippi River, and the dangers of flooding in Perry County merit the full attention of Congress,” Emerson said.

 

The levee, a major component of flood protection in Southeast Missouri, is located mostly in Perry County, MO.  The existing levee is 33.1 miles long with 339 relief wells and 4 pump stations.

 

“The Bois Brule Levee is essential to flood control, and a thorough plan is vital to future flood protection.  The levee mitigates flooding to an area of the 8th district that contains an airport, several industrial sites, and the only bridge access to Illinois between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau.  After this project is completed, the Bois Brule Levee will protect people and property in places where floods are now accompanied by uncertainty and fear.”

 

Meeting the goals of the project requires seepage control measures in the form of relief wells and seepage berms, additional pumping capacity and restoring the elevation of the levee in some locations.

 

Emerson has advocated for the project throughout her service in the House of Representatives.