From Deseret News archives:
Flood-control work is in limbo awaiting funds
"We still have a great potential for flooding with such a high snowpack in the mountains," said Washington County Commissioner Jim Eardley. "We're most concerned about the Virgin River. We keep getting more snow in the mountains up there."
January's floods caused more than $180 million in damage to private and public property. Most of the 34 homes destroyed or structurally compromised were in the Green Valley area of St. George along the Santa Clara River. Much of the federal funds received to date were used to build rock berms and riprap riverbanks in the newly widened channel of that river.
A request by Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, for an additional $66 million to help stabilize riverbanks and protect watersheds in southern Utah will provide critical funds, said Eardley.
The House is expected to vote on the issue this week. The Senate will vote on the emergency funding request next week and then send it to President Bush for his signature.
Ron Whitehead, the county's public works director, said more money is needed before work can even be started on several mitigating projects along the Virgin and Santa Clara rivers.
"We're concerned about the potential for sewage to be put back into the river flow," said Whitehead. He said sewer lagoons for Enterprise, Springdale and Rockville are vulnerable and need to be protected from any potentially damaging floodwaters.
Santa Clara's main sewer line was destroyed during January's floods, and the city is just now able to begin laying new pipelines. For the past few months, Santa Clara has been pumping its sewage out of several main manholes and transporting it to a wastewater treatment plant.
A main irrigation line maintained by the Washington County Water Conservancy District was also destroyed during January's floods. In order to provide water this summer to irrigation users, that pipeline also must be replaced as quickly as possible.
