Gov. Nixon urges corps to OK Birds Point levee plan

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon is urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to approve plans for a temporary levee to protect land in Southeast Missouri.

The corps breached the Birds Point levee along the Mississippi River last month to reduce the flooding threat to Cairo, Ill. The levee breach flooded 130,000 acres and damaged or destroyed houses in the floodway.

Nixon said his administration is prepared to build a temporary levee at the initial detonation site on the Birds Point levee. Nixon sent a letter Monday to the corps urging it to expedite its review and approval of that plan. He said the temporary levee is vital for public safety and economic growth. He said the temporary levee is needed for farmers to start planting crops this growing season.