USDA Assists with West Michigan Flood Damage Repairs

EAST LANSING – Sept. 26, 2008 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide nearly $650,000 in funds to repair damage caused in June by severe flooding in west Michigan.

The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service will provide funding for flood damage restoration projects in Allegan, Manistee, Mason, Ottawa and Wexford counties. Funding from the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection program can pay up to 75 percent of the cost of removing debris from stream channels, road culverts and bridges, protecting eroded streambanks and reseeding damaged areas.

“Many of the roads and stream crossings have already been repaired using other Federal and State funds,” said NRCS State Conservationist Garry Lee. “The assistance from NRCS will be used to repair damaged areas, not in road right-of-ways, that are badly eroded and clogged with debris.”

West Michigan received heavy rains from a storm that caused flooding throughout the Midwest. Flooding occurred in Michigan on June 12 and 13, areas of Mason County near Ludington received 11 inches of rain in less than 12 hours according to a National Weather Service Web site. NRCS staff with assistance from local agencies surveyed flood damage and requested the EWP funds. NRCS will request additional funds in 2009 to repair more flood damaged areas, said Lee.

The funds received during 2008 will be used for projects being conducted by the Allegan County Drain Commissioner, the Ottawa County Drain Commissioner, the Mason County Drain Commissioner, the Mason County Road Commission, the Manistee County Road Commission, the city of Manistee and the Wexford County Road Commission.
 

NRCS-Michigan Emergency Watershed Protection Program Web page

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