President Obama released his 2015 Budget last week, and it includes a historic $750,000 authorization to complete the feasibility study of the Little Colorado River Levee at Winslow. This is the first time this project has been included in the President’s budget that he submits to Congress each year.
The feasibility study is the first step to removing Winslow residents and businesses from a 100-year flood plain. Navajo County has led this effort, in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Winslow.
Navajo County and the Army Corps of Engineers have been working to fund the rehabilitation of the Winslow Levee for several years to address the flood risks associated with the Colorado River, which runs throughout northern Arizona communities. An initial levee study was commissioned in 2008, with a 50/50 cost share between the two entities and an estimated $5.7 million dollar total expenditure. The study is aimed at improving the overall safety and effectiveness of the levee to help protect the community. The Army Corps needs $951,127 to complete the study; the $750,000 designated in the 2015 Budget will address that funding shortfall.
At the conclusion of the feasibility study, the Army Corps will report the preferred method to rehabilitate the levee and the estimated cost for the improvements. Navajo County and the Army Corps will then need to garner continued resources and support from the federal government to undertake the construction phase.