"I feel more comfortable now. We're more prepared for spring runoff than we were before the flood," Bulloch said. "But the city's kind of had to move ahead on its own to get this work done in critical locations. We are hoping to get some of that money back through the state's $25 million loan."

Another potential source of funding could come if Congress approves a request by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. The two men are seeking more money to support the flood relief efforts in southern Utah and Nevada.

In an April 1 letter addressed to Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, the senators write, " . . . the greatest threat to these communities stems from the severely eroded river beds."

Fixing that problem, however, will take about $66 million, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). So far, about $9.2 million has been allocated by the NRCS to help with those restoration efforts.

"Additional funding is desperately needed," according to Hatch and Reid's letter, which requests additional funds to be provided in the Supplemental Appropriations Act to help the affected counties avoid future flood damage.

More money is definitely needed, said McArthur, but the city also needs permission to conduct repair work within the river channel itself now that the immediate emergency is over.

"We have to get a permit to work in the river now, so we're working through that process," he said. Issues arose because of the Endangered Species Act, which prompted the Fish and Wildlife Service to require the work permit.

McArthur said he plans a trip to Washington, D.C., next week to discuss the problem with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other federal agencies.

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E-mail: nperkins@desnews.com