Get moving on water storage agreement

The Levee 37 project currently under construction along the west bank of the Des Plaines River in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights was designed by the Army Corps of Engineers as (part) of a long-term flood mitigation program.

The project will provide additional flood protection for residents in Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights without exacerbating flooding in Des Plaines and further south. The Des Plaines Flood Action Group does not oppose this project.

This summer great progress has been made in the construction of the levee. However, construction has not yet begun to create the compensatory water storage that will make this project flood neutral to residents downstream.

To date there is still no signed agreement for the compensatory water storage part of the project. A planned agreement between the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, the Village of Wheeling and Wheeling Park District remains in negotiation.

It was irresponsible to begin construction on the levee before a compensatory water storage agreement was in place. Even if reached today, it will be many months, perhaps years, before this essential part of the project is completed.

Meanwhile, the project requires that a 500-foot gap in the levee be maintained to reduce the impact on water levels downstream.

On two occasions this year Mount Prospect has availed itself of the industrial-strength pumps of the levee contractor to pump water back into the Des Plaines River at the gap. There is no question Mount Prospect will use pumps and temporary barricades to close this gap in a flood emergency.

The DPFA deplores the delay in reaching an agreement for adequate water compensation to complete this project and make it truly flood neutral downstream. We urge the parties involved to treat this with the urgency and priority it deserves and reach agreement.

We also urge the Mayor and City Council of Des Plaines, as well as our state and federal representatives, to continue to utilize all diplomatic means at their disposal to shepherd this agreement through to completion now.

Stephen J. Navarre, president

Des Plaines Flood Action Group