Davenport and Muscatine awarded $13 million for flood wall, levee construction
Davenport and Muscatine will receive millions in federal grant dollars for flood fighting efforts, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Thursday.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, in news release, said the federal government will award $13.1 million in grants to help the two river communities recover from flooding in 2019.
“These ... investments will enable Iowa, hard hit by recent flooding, to shore up protection in several communities, creating resiliency in the face of future disasters," Raimondo said in a statement.
The grants will allow the city of Davenport and the Muscatine Louisa Island Levee district to protect businesses and infrastructure from major flooding, "giving the community peace of mind in the event of future flooding events," Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo added in a statement.
The city of Davenport will receive a $9.9 million grant to build a flood wall and pumping system to protect the regional wastewater treatment facility near Credit Island from river and flash flooding. The project will be matched with $2.5 million in local funds, and is expected to retain more than 9,000 jobs, according to a news release.
Water Pollution Control Plant is one of the largest Wastewater Treatment plants in the State of Iowa, serving the cities of Davenport, Bettendorf, Panorama Park and Riverdale.
The Muscatine Louisa Island Levee District will receive a $3.2 million grant for a levee enhancement project, "which will provide enhanced flood protection to critical infrastructure and businesses in the region," according to the release.
The project will be matched with $3.2 million in local funds, and is expected to create 215 jobs, retain 3,598 jobs and generate $352 million in private investment.
Funding from the projects comes from $600 million approved by Congress for disaster relief for areas affected by hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and floods that occurred in 2018 and 2019.
“The 2019 Mississippi River floods hit our communities hard, and these funds will go a long way to minimizing future flood damage,” U.S Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, said in a statement. “The city of Davenport and the Muscatine Louisa Island Levee District have needed additional support for a while now, and I am happy to see it being delivered.”
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in a statement, said the grants will greatly benefit both communities "as they continue to ramp up flood protection projects."
City of Davenport and Muscatine County officials were out of the office or otherwise unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.
Asked how the Department Commerce at arrived job retention, job creation and private investment figures tied to the projects, a spokesperson said estimates were provided by Davenport and Muscatine officials.