Levee realignment projects provide opportunities to reduce levee construction and maintenance costs, reduce risks by providing more space for water, and restore flood plain habitat that produces benefits for fish, wildlife, and people. The USACE Omaha District is successfully partnering with a host of organizations, particularly the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the US Department of Agriculture, to integrate across programs and authorities to deliver such projects. Dave Crane (USACE Omaha District) took me to see three of these projects completed in the last few years. These projects have created more than 3,000 acres of restored floodplain along the Missouri River: L-536 project in Atchison County, MO; Highway 2 project in Fremont County, IA; and Frazer Bend project in Fremont County, IA. Dave is also one of our two national River Engineering With Nature Practice Leads.
