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˜ Ben Nelson
April 29, 2009 – Today, Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson announced that the United States Army Corp of Engineers will provide over $26 million to Nebraska to support a variety of civil works projects as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
“New construction and maintenance of Nebraska’s infrastructure is vital to our economic well-being and future safety,” said Senator Nelson. “Funding for these projects will create and sustain jobs throughout Nebraska and will serve as a long-term investment toward the future of our state.”
The Army Corp of Engineers received $4.6 billion from the ARRA to disperse nationwide. Under the criteria set out by the legislation, the Army Corp of Engineers must select projects that will quickly create and sustain jobs, are cost-effective, contribute to the public good, and are geographically distributed across the United States. The state of Nebraska will receive $26,280,000 to go toward the maintenance, operation, and construction of dams, levees, roads, campgrounds, and environmental sustainability projects.
The sites receiving funding include:
Omaha District: Total: $18.844 million
Construction General
Sand Creek: $3,698,000
Western Sarpy-Clear Creek: $9.360,000
Operations & Maintenance
Gavins Point Dam: $5.206,000
Papillion Watershed: $205,000
Salt Creek Watershed: $375,000
Kansas City District: Total: $7.436 million
Planning Assistance
Nebraska Beatrice Floodplain: $50,000
Lake Operations & Maintenance
Harlan County Lake: $7,386,000
Frequent Platte River flooding in western Sarpy County and the Clear Creek area of eastern Saunders County, Nebraska threaten critical communications and transportation corridors, including Interstate 80 and NE Highway 6. The $9.36 million of stimulus funding will complete the final phases of this nearly $30 million project. About 20 miles of levees will be improved along this stretch of the Platte River, one of the most ice jam flood-prone areas of the state.
“Perhaps the most significant benefit of the Western Sarpy/Clear Creek Flood Reduction Project is the security of Omaha and Lincoln well fields, supplying water to nearly 50% of Nebraska’s population,” said Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District General Manager John Winkler. “We are delighted to see that this project, safeguarding critical infrastructure, will finally become a reality.”
Three NRDs, the Papio-Missouri River, Lower Platte South and Lower Platte North, have been working diligently with the US Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Nebraska, other government agencies and the Congressional delegation for over 10 years to see this project through to completion.
Sand Creek and Western Sarpy-Clear Creek are both projects that are authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 and have, prior to the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to utilize stimulus funding, received several earmarks requested by Senator Nelson and other members of the Nebraska delegation. Many of the remaining projects listed to receive stimulus funds from the Army Corps of Engineers have been funded annually with earmarks requested by the President in his budget.
Senator Nelson played a key role in the passage of the $787 billion stimulus bill. He worked with a bipartisan group of nearly 20 Senators to better focus The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on tax cuts for the middle class and job creation for millions of Americans. Senator Nelson led the group through the initial bill line by line, dollar by dollar, to reduce spending and cut out $108 billion of inefficient or less-stimulative spending. The bipartisan group helped the improved bill win congressional approval. President Obama signed it into law February 17, 2009.
Senator Nelson is posting information about the release of stimulus finds on his website as it becomes available. Visit http://bennelson.senate.gov/issues/stimulus/index.cfm for more information.
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