Focus on the 2011 Missouri River Basin Flood
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Mound City Published & Printed in Mound City, Missouri Vol. 132, No. 2 75¢ NEWS www.moundcitynews.com Thursday • July 21 • 201 1 Party in the HOLT COUNTY PROPERTY Park to be OWNERS DECIDE TO held July 30 A day of summer fun TAKE ACTION AGAINST is being planned for resi- dents and families of Holt County. It’s a time to take CORPS OF ENGINEERS part in fun ‘free’ summer- A small group of property office has created a packet in- time activities as well as owners who are tired of hav- cluding the USACE explana- time to visit with friends ing their livelihoods and tion of filing and the Federal and neighbors. The day- homes wrecked by floodwaters Claim Form 95. Packets are long event will take place have decided to take action. available at the offices at the at Griffith Park in Mound Holt County property owners City of Craig, City of Mound City, MO, on Saturday, interested in filing a claim for City and County Clerk’s Of- July 30. The Mound City damages against the US Army fice, Oregon. Kiwanis are sponsoring Corps of Engineers (USACE) Property owners may file the event. are being asked to join a com- claims personally; however to The activities are munity-wide effort to send in participate in the community- planned to begin at noon. claim forms in one large group wide effort to file as a large representing all the damages group, they are being asked The Mound City Rural in Holt County. to fill out the claim form and Firefighters will start the Time is of the essence for return it to one of the offices This 150’ crane was perched on top of a sectional barge- Just west of the Little day off with a free will do- filing claims, and getting the listed above by Friday, August Tarkio River Bridge south of Fortescue, MO, on Monday, July 18. A tugboat on the back nation lunch. There will be completed forms organized 5, 2011. The damage estimates side will be used to push the two separate barges loaded with 150’ cranes to the construc- many other activities and is the first big step. In order from the claim forms will be tion site of a new trestle bridge just 1/2 mile west of Fortescue. events throughout the af- to have accurate data and to used to report a total of dam- ternoon and evening. show the magnitude of the ages for the entire county. flood’s impact on this county, Individual forms will be Work begins on new BNSF bridges property owners would like to compiled and submitted to Andy Williams, Burlington junction of the Little Tarkio situations. The district had Nutrition Site to pool the claim forms together the USACE by certified mail Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) River Bridge and Hwy. 159, hoped for a compromise on a from everyone who believes before the deadline to ensure hold rummage and representative, stated, “As a south of Fortescue on Friday, couple of the bridge projects, they have damage related proper filing. result of flooding and levee fail- July 15. but none was rendered. bake sale July 23 to the USACE’s actions this Participation in this com- ures along the Missouri River Because of floodwaters still According to Sipes, the spring and summer along the munity-wide project does not The Mound City Nutri- near Rulo, NE, BNSF will sig- inundating the area, Massman BNSF has plans to build six Missouri River in Holt Coun- obligate property owners to tion Site in Mound City, nificantly increase the bridge Construction will mobilize, by new bridges along the 3.5 ty. The total numbers will be any lawsuit, nor does filing a MO, will be holding a openings along approximately truck, all the materials, and miles stretch of tracks from used to illustrate the overall claim entitle them to any pay- rummage and bake sale 3.5 miles of track between the will work through Hwy. 159. Fortescue to the Rulo Bridge. impacts of the flooding while ment for damages or any com- on Saturday, July 23, from Missouri River and the town Temporary offices, generators, The locations and dimensions moving forward to seek disas- pensation. This claim form is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fill a bag of Fortescue, MO. New bridges tents and supply cars are al- are as follow: ter resources and potentially a not for use in filing any type for $1. Lunch will also be will be constructed and the ex- ready present on the east side • 200’ bridge, 1/2 mile west class-action lawsuit in the fu- of insurance, state or federal isting bridge at Big Lake will at the creek site. In addition, of Fortescue served. ture for damages not covered claim for damages in any oth- likely be extended as part of on the west side of the creek, • 600’ bridge, extend current by other insurance or state er program. The Federal Form the work. Some portions of the a tugboat stands at the ready RR bridge and federal programs. The 95 claim form is specific to the track will be raised to increase to move two sectional barges • 240’ bridge, east of Dia- Refuge USACE has made the Fed- USACE Federal Tort claim. the bridge openings but will that house cranes for work on mond Lane eral Form 95 available to file This is simply an effort by lo- have a no-rise impact to the the bridge. • 240’ bridge, between Dia- for any damages a landowner cal citizens impacted by the flood basin.” The two sectional barges will mond Lane and Del Rio Rd looking believes are directly connected flood to identify damages and BNSF has contracted Mass- serve as working platforms on • 130’ bridge, west of Del Rio to the release of water from make a large impact by work- man Construction to build a the floodwaters surrounding Rd. the Gavins Point Dam along ing together as a group. new 200 foot trestle bridge the tracks. They will carry 150’ • 180’ bridge, west of junc- toward fall the Missouri River this sum- If anyone has any questions, just 1/2 mile west of Fortes- cranes that will be used at the ture of Levee District #10 and mer. In an effort to streamline please contact Kathy J. Kun- cue. Massman Construction, trestle bridge to be built just railroad the community-wide process, kel, Holt County Clerk, at 660- of Kansas City, MO, had crews a half mile west of Fortescue. The district argued that if events a group of volunteers working 446-3303; M-F; 9-5. and supplies arriving at the Another 150’ crane will remain there was a break south of the The auto tour loop is with the Holt County Clerk’s at the highway site. lake, the new bridges east and still closed at Squaw The construction company west of Diamond Lane would Creek Wildlife Refuge plans to work two shift op- serve to let water backflow to erations 24 hours a day, seven the north and flood. near Mound City. The USDA flood informational days a week. It is hoped that The railroad contended that loop is currently driv- the project will be completed to get even flow through the able, but with any sub- in 4-5 weeks. bridges and not cause scouring stantial rain, waters meeting to be held August 4 At a meeting held on Mon- problems, the bridges needed from both the eagle and day, July 18, with BNSF rep- to be evenly dispersed. Holt County USDA Farm meeting will include Farm Ser- in production and/or physical resentatives and Holt County The bridges will be built at pelican pools would over- Service Agency (FSA) Act- vice Agency, Natural Resource losses to buildings and/or land, top the driving loop. Lev- Levee District #10 represena- ground level over the existing ing Executive Director, Wendy Conservation Service, Risk and disaster programs avail- tives, Bob Sipes and Steve tracks (or lack thereof), and els in both pools are at Tubbs, announced that the Holt Management Agency, Rural able due to crop and or livestock Cunningham, a more thorough then the track system will County USDA Agencies will be Development, Soil and Water losses. the same depth as the plan for the construction was be removed from under the hosting a flood informational Conservation District, and Uni- A wide cross section of USDA current river levels. revealed. bridge. Representatives at the meeting on Thursday, August versity MO Extension. Topics to personnel will be present at the Floodwaters have tak- Levee District #10 had meeting reported that BNSF 4, 2011, at the Squaw Creek be discussed at the meeting will meeting to answer questions en their toll on vegeta- National Wildlife Refuge near include a presentation on crop about the various programs asked for a meeting because of plans to have the bridges built tion in the pools, as much Mound City, located on High- insurance, programs available available. All producers affect- concerns that a couple of the in the next 30-40 days with rail of it has rotted and died. way 159 South, from 1 to 3:30 to assist landowners with re- ed by the flood are encouraged bridges may cause future flood traffic to resume in 50 days. There are large amounts p.m. due to the extensive flood- pairing farmland to get it back to attend. For questions regard- of trash on the refuge ing Holt County has experi- into crop production, the avail- ing the informational meeting, and because water levels enced during 2011.