DUTCHTOWN STILL ON TRAIL OF LEVEE

JACKSON -- Dutchtown residents are exploring formation of a levee district to help precipitate a flood-control project.

The Army Corps of Engineers has received go-ahead for a feasibility study for a levee at Dutchtown, but it needs $8,000 in local money to continue.

The cost of the study, which would include examination of environmental and economic impacts, is $116,000. Federal regulations call for half the cost to come from a local sponsor that has taxing authority and can maintain a flood-control structure.

The local share of the completed structure could be as much as $400,000. The Corps would pay the majority of costs with federal flood-control money.

Eighteen people from a variety of agencies and offices met Monday to talk about possible sources of money to fund a levee at Dutchtown. Highway 74 has been closed by flooding four times in the past three decades: 1973, 1983, 1993 and 1995.

In 1993 and 1995 temporary gravel and sandbag levees were constructed in the middle of Highway 74 at Dutchtown. In 1995 the levee extended about 2,000 feet east of the highways 74-25 intersection and cost about $45,000.

Following the 1995 flood, the Cape Girardeau County Commission said constructing the temporary levee was too expensive to do again, and requested the Corps consider a permanent flood-control project.

Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said Monday the county doesn't want to foot the bill for the entire project. Neither does the county want to own and maintain a levee, said Jones.

Dutchtown isn't incorporated and has no authority to collect a tax. A levee district, however, could collect taxes from within a levee district.

Bob Moss of Dutchtown said residents attending a town meeting this month expressed interest in forming a levee district.

Bud Obermann of Dutchtown said he has talked with lawyers about setting up a district. But Moss said even with a tax, not enough money could be raised for the local share.

About 44 residences, a handful of businesses and some farmland would receive direct benefit from a flood-control project. But Obermann said the region also benefits by keeping highways 74 and 25 open during Mississippi River flooding.

An average 8,000 vehicles travel Highway 74 and 7,000 travel Highway 25 at Dutchtown every day. Route A, which also is affected by flooding, carries an average 700 vehicles a day.

"The entire area benefits from keeping those highways open," said Moss.

Monday's meeting was an attempt to find other sources of money to pay the local share for the study, plans and construction.

Tom Tucker, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, will look for economic development or community block grants for the project. Randy Hitt of the Missouri Department of Transportation will look for state transportation money that could be used to help build a levee.

"We each have a little assignment," Jones said.

A meeting is scheduled Oct. 13 to provide an update on possible funding sources.

A preliminary look at the project calls for a levee tying in with a levee west of Highway 25, crossing the highway and continuing east through farmland parallel to Highway 74.

The Little River Drainage District, which maintains the Diversion Channel and a series of levees south of the channel, has the right to release floodwater onto land north of the Diversion Channel. But Larry Dowdy of the drainage district said it would be possible to release those easements. He also said drainage district personnel could provide expertise on maintaining a levee.

Larry Sharpe of the Corps of Engineers said if the project gets local funding within the next couple of months construction could begin in 2000.