The Flood of 2005
Wood River Flood Control Project Successful

                                                                                  Flood Control Project Paid for Itself in 2005

The damage prevented by the Wood River Flood Control Project in southern Grand Island paid for itself after one heavy rainfall event.  In a report recently released by the Army Corps of Engineers titled Discharge vs. Damage, the Corps stated that there was $23,687.4 million of damage prevented during the 2005 flood.  Milt Moravek, assistant manager of the Central Platte NRD, said the total cost of the project was $15.5 million- saving homeowners and insurance companies over $8 million just a few months after its completion.

Known as “Grand Island’s Safety Valve,” the project was put to the test on May 11, 2005, when a total of 7.21 inches of rain fell between May 11th and May 12th.  The Corps said the storm has been designated as a 25-year storm.  Located in Hall County Park and on the property of Stuhr Museum, the diversion project blocks floodwater coming from the west into Grand Island from Wood River and the Warm Slough.  Floodgates divert the water into a floodway that eventually drains into the Platte River.

Milt Moravek, assistant manager, said the project "worked exactly as it was designed."  In years to come, you may reminisce about where you were the night the 2005 flood brought devastating storms to much of Central Nebraska.  For the NRD, the 2005 Flood was an event that exemplified the importance of flood control projects within the District.

Photos below show the same areas after the 2005 Flood and the 1967 Flood. 

 


The photo to the left shows the 300 foot-wide channel of the diversion project that provided flood control protection for 1,500 homes and   businesses. A total of 7.21 inches of rain fell between 7 a.m. May 11th and 7 a.m. May 12th, more that any one day of rainfall during the 1967 Flood. In 1967, 10 inches of rain fell over nine days from June 7-15, with the most falling on June 13 at 3.2 inches.

 As seen in the photo to the right, this same area was severely damaged by flood waters in 1967. 
Stuhr Museum located along Hwy 281, is the building in the center of the photo 

 


Photo: Main channel of the Wood River FCP, 
off of Capital Avenue in Grand Island.

The four co-sponsors of the project are the Central Platte Natural Resources District, the City of Grand Island, Hall County and Merrick County.  The same sponsors are currently working on a flood control project for the northwest part of Grand Island, where there was much more destruction in the 2005 flood.  The Upper/Prairie/Silver Moores Flood Control Project will cover a significant portion of the city of Grand Island that lies west of Hwy 281 between Hwy 30 and Nebraska Hwy 2.  Numerous flood events have caused damage within the Prairie Creek Watershed, including the Prairie Creek tributaries of Silver Creek and Moores Creek.  That project isn’t expected for completion until 2017.




Photo: Stuhr Museum in Grand Island after Flood of 1967. 
                                                The new Wood River Flood Control Project alleviated flooding in this area.

                                  
Photo: Moores Creek Flood Control channel diverted flood water away from homes and businesses near the Wood River.              
                                                                        

A study conducted by the co-sponsors has shown that the extent of a 100-year flood will cover a significant portion of the city of Grand Island that lies west of Hwy 281 between Hwy 30 & Hwy 2, as well as the flooding along Prairie Creek and Silver Creek extends upstream of Grand Island in a westerly direction into Hall County.  The recommended plan to accomplish the flood control is through the creation of upland and lowland flood control structures such as using roadways to act as dams, building berms to keep the creeks within their banks, and through the construction of water detention cells to be built on 700 acres at the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant. (See photo to the left.)

A grant application has been submitted to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources for the amount of $9.3 million to finance a portion of the project and received $8.6 million. The remaining $7.2 million will be financed by the co-sponsors. Construction is expected to begin in 2006.



 Photo: The NRD purchased land from the former 
Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant to use as detention cells.

 

 

Photo: Aerial view of Northwest Grand Island on 
May 13, 2005, one day  one day after the rains began.  

 

 

Photo: Northwestern Grand Island neighborhood 
drowning in flood after the heavy rainfall.   

    
                     
Photo: This bridge located on South Locust in Grand Island 
is one of five bridges built as part of the diversion project.  

 


Photo of Dedication Ceremony in May 2004:  Grand Island Mayor Jay Vavricek said that now that the project is completed the quality of life in the Grand Island community will be protected, adding that a potential hike and bike trail will coincide with much of the diversion project. The project will also save landowners more than $300,000 in flood insurance premiums once FEMA changes the flood area designation.  Other speakers at the dedication included former mayors of Grand Island Ernie Dobesh and Ken Gnadt, Nebraska Senator Bob Kremer, Todd Franzen from Senator Hagel’s office, John Hanson from Congressman Osborne’s office, and Ron Bishop and Milt Moravek from the Central Platte NRD.  Also attending the dedication were employees and board members of the many co-sponsors involved in the process including: Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Central Platte NRD, City of Grand Island, County of Hall and County of Merrick.

                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                  

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