Roseau flood protection project receives increased authorization

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Roseau flood protection project had its authorized cost increased to $43,817,000, when President Barack Obama signed the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 into law today, June 10.

This act, last passed in 2007, provides authorization for development of projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across the nation.

“The increased authorization will ensure that we are able to complete the diversion project and reduce flood risk to the citizens of Roseau,” said Aaron Snyder, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District Project Management Branch chief. “This authorization, in combination with the Federal funding provided earlier in the year, will allow for the project to be completed in the fall of 2015.” 

The Roseau project includes constructing approximately 8.75 miles of earth levees, 4.5 miles of diversion channel, an inlet structure and an outlet structure. Construction of the diversion channel began in 2010. Since then, 3.5 miles of the channel has been excavated and the outlet structure has been completed. The channel inlet structure and 1 mile of channel remain to be constructed, which is scheduled to begin this year.

The nearly 650 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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