The US Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District, along with the Navajo County Oversight Board, signed the Little Colorado River Winslow Flood Risk Management Project Design Agreement on July 11 at the Winslow Chamber of Commerce in Winslow, Arizona.

The signing ceremony marks the commencement of Corps pre-construction, engineering and design to mitigate potential flood risk along Winslow’s Little Colorado River.

“This has been a long-awaited event, not just for the county, but for the city of Winslow,” said Alberto Peshracai, chairman of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. “The purpose of this project is to clear flood zones, protect the Santa Fe Transcontinental Railroad, recognize Navajo and Hopi migrants, and most importantly, improve public safety in the City of Winslow. .”

About 5,000 families who live, work and call home in this area are located within the floodplain, along with critical infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, nursing homes and public facilities, and are potentially at risk of flooding. increase. The project area includes approximately 7.3 miles of flood risk mitigation levees and improvements located along the Little Colorado River near Winslow.

“Completion of this project will be a win for the community by not only mitigating potential flood risks associated with the river, but also by creating regional stability, economic vitality and future growth.” said Barten.

Winslow’s Little Colorado River Flood Risk Management Project has received more than $65 million in federal funding from a bipartisan infrastructure act to fund project completion.

“This project is also very important for the state,” Barten said. “Flooding also threatens the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad Bridge over the Little Colorado River, an important transcontinental corridor for transporting goods between the Midwest and West Coast.”

Initial work on the project will focus on geotechnical and cultural updates and sophisticated hydraulic modeling.

“The Los Angeles area is dedicated to delivering quality projects on time and safely to our partners and stakeholders in Arizona,” Barten said.

The LA District supports the public and military of Arizona through a variety of projects, planning, engineering, construction, and environmental services. Projects include flood risk management, navigation, recreation, infrastructure and environmental management.

For more information on LA District programs and projects, visit www.spl.usace.army.mil.