Purpose

The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of damages due to flooding in the city of Arcadia, Wisconsin.

Location

Arcadia is in Trempealeau County in west-central Wisconsin, approximately 130 miles southeast of St. Paul, Minnesota. The city is located on the Trempealeau River, with Turton Creek and Meyers Valley Creek flowing into the Trempealeau River on the east and west sides of the city, respectively.

Description

The area is subject to flooding from the Trempealeau River, as well as from both creeks. The part of Arcadia south of the Trempealeau River is affected by flooding, which includes the central business district and the Ashley Furniture Industries corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility.

The central business district and main street were flooded in 2010, and a significant rainfall event occurred in July 2017, leading to damages along Turton Creek. Future flooding may result in direct damages and the possible loss of more than 4,000 jobs in the community.

Status

The city of Arcadia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed a feasibility study in August 2020. USACE and the city of Arcadia signed a project-partnership agreement on Feb. 1, 2021. USACE began design of Reach 1 in June 2021. The project includes levees, floodwalls, channel modifications, closure structures, a bridge, relocations and/or buyouts, engineered high ground, and railway modifications. A contract for construction of Reach 1 is anticipated to be awarded in October 2025 but is dependent on sponsor real estate acquisition. Design of Reach 2 was initiated in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.

Authority

This project is authorized under Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948, as amended.

Funding

Federal funding under the Section 205 program is limited to $10 million. The Determination of Federal Interest study is 100% federally funded. The feasibility phase is cost shared 50/50 between the federal government and the local sponsor. The design and construction phase are cost-shared 65% federal and 35% local sponsor, up to the federal limit, after which all costs are borne by the local sponsor.

The following table outlines the estimated financial breakdown of the three phases of the project (June 2022 price levels).