St. Maries Levee Work Resumes
The long-delayed project to flood-proof two St. Maries neighborhoods is under way and expected to be finished this fall.
Construction planning was delayed in spring when some residents, government biologists and environmental activists criticized Benewah County for cutting hundreds of cottonwood trees along the St. Joe River.
The cutting was required by the Army Corps of Engineers. The debate went all the way to Congress.
There seems no doubt now that more trees will fall along the “Shadowy St. Joe.” The only apparent obstacle to the project is the unwillingness of four landowners to give permission for the county to work on their property.
“We’re trying to work with people to get things done amicably,” said Richard McFadden, attorney for the Riverdale and Meadowhurst drainage districts.
If that doesn’t work, he said, the districts may seek court orders to get access to the land.
Levee maintenance is the responsibility of the districts. Meadowhurst commissioners will meet today to decide what to do about their one holdout landowner. On the Riverdale levee, three landowners don’t want to sign.
“A lot of people want special conditions. You can’t negotiate separate easements for each landowner,” said McFadden.
Some people are still unhappy about trees coming down, he said, “but I think that’s pretty much resolved.”
McFadden would not name the dissenting landowners.
Most residents are cooperating. Floods inundated their property in February 1996, and threatened again this spring.
The Corps of Engineers contends that large trees undermine the levees, and should never have been allowed to grow.
Cutting is completed on the Meadowhurst levee. Many Riverdale trees are marked for removal.
“We’ve being very careful, so we’ll just remove the minimum amount,” said engineer Phil Boyd. He works for Welch-Comer, the Coeur d’Alene firm in charge of levy renovation.
Construction began Sept. 2.
The 80-year-old levees were made from sand and silt dredged from the river. They will be reinforced with clay.
Slopes will be made wider and less steep. That should reduce the chance of “back cutting” that occurred in 1996 when water topped and weakened the levees.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists hope the work will be complete before migrating eagles return to the river in late fall.
The birds perch in cottonwoods and fish in the river.
At this point, there’s nothing the agency can do except offer suggestions because the work is being done under an emergency provision of the Endangered Species Act.
Only when the project is finished can the biologists require protection of other habitat to make up for the loss. They said earlier this year that artificial perches must also be built.
Those actions, like the levee construction, will be paid for by the federal Economic Development Administration.
Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration is paying for reconstruction of part of Idaho Highway 3, which lies on top of the Meadowhurst levee.
That work won’t get started until next spring, said Larry Wolf of the Idaho Department of Transportation.
A dirt berm remains in the middle of that stretch of highway. It was put there to fend off this year’s high water. One lane remains open.
The county is widening the one-lane detour route in the other direction. It will be paved by the state, said Benewah County civil defense coordinator George Currier.
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