North Idaho Flood Repair Work Lagging As Millions In Federal Aid Remain In Limbo, Damaged Dikes Still Have Not Been Repaired

North Idaho disaster officials fear they are running out of time to fix damaged river dikes before the next flood season.

Holes carved in the walls holding back the St. Joe and Coeur d’Alene rivers during last winter’s floods have not been repaired because millions of dollars in federal aid are in limbo, said Bill Schwartz, Kootenai County disaster services director.

Repairs will take months to complete, but it could be that long before federal agencies even decide who will get the money.

Meanwhile, Schwartz said, the weakened, leaky dikes are more vulnerable than ever and could collapse under floodwaters less severe than those that hit in November 1995. That could lead to even more devastation.

“The river has filled in; the hillsides have eroded; the ground is weaker. … That means less water could equal more flooding,” he said. “If that (Coeur d’Alene River) dike goes out, it’s very reasonable to project we could lose Interstate 90.”

Federal workers and spokesmen for U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, who helped push through an $18 million flood-relief package in April, say the government is doing its best to be responsive.

As of July 23, 375 home and business owners secured more than $7.3 million in loans from the Small Business Administration alone, said Kempthorne spokesman Mark Snider.

“The senator is extremely pleased with the cooperation and response to this disaster,” he said.

But frustrated Cataldo, Idaho, residents are threatening to illegally elevate a mile-long section of the dike themselves if federal agencies don’t find cash soon - even though it would expose them to citations and fines.

“We won’t wait. We can’t afford to,” said resident Verne Blalack. “It’s cheaper for me to spend thousands out of my own pocket and do it myself than to lose my house.”

More than a dozen residents - about one-quarter of the town’s population - have written letters seeking public assistance to beef up their dike this year.

But it’s still unknown whether they’ll get the money.

The Panhandle Area Council, a regional economic development group, applied for a $1.6 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration to fix and add three feet to the top of the Cataldo dike.

But applications for federal money to repair dikes in 10 Idaho counties now total $14 million. And communities have to compete with one another for the money.

Agencies like the EDA are just now beginning their review processes.

Congress approved EDA money for dike repairs last spring, but notice wasn’t published in the federal register until June 24. A subsequent public comment period ended July 24. That means “six days ago was the earliest any funds could be released,” Snider said.

The Cataldo request is scheduled for an EDA “project review” next Tuesday. The agency then will decide if the project is important enough to warrant a “high priority” evaluation, said EDA’s Idaho representative, Aldred Ames.

“They (residents) have some real concerns all right, but it takes time to process these applications,” Ames said.

If the proposal is deemed worthy, it still must be approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Attempts to reach Corps offices were unsuccessful late Tuesday, but Schwartz said workers there told him the Corps preferred to patch - rather than raise - the dike.

The county also sought Federal Emergency Management Administration money to cover dike repairs. That agency will decide Aug. 17 who gets cash.

With the summer construction season half over, Schwartz is anxious for action.

“We’re really racing the clock here,” he said. “If we don’t get something started on the ground by Sept. 1, we’re just putting people at risk.”

, DataTimes