Flood Prevention in Huntington, Milton could get a boost with Congressional bill

HUNTINGTON — A bill introduced in Congress this week could give a major boost to flood prevention efforts in Huntington and Milton. 

The final text of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 includes measures that would green-light studies on the Fourpole Creek watershed and Huntington’s floodwall. It also includes a measure increasing federal share of project costs for Lower Mud River flood control project in Milton, from 65% to 90%.

The act, included in the National Defense Authorization Bill for fiscal year 2023, was released Tuesday by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. The committee includes U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., who spearheaded the act. It will be voted on in the coming days.

Capito has been involved in the Milton project for years and helped get funding for the project in 2018. Gov. Jim Justice and leadership in Huntington also have approached her with concerns about increasing flooding at Fourpole Creek and the aging floodwall.

“For West Virginia, it means projects across our state will receive the resources and support needed to make progress on critical issues, such as addressing flood risk,” she said. “WRDA 2022 is another example of commonsense, bipartisan collaboration on the EPW Committee and with our counterparts in the House to improve the nation’s infrastructure, and I look forward to voting to send it to the president’s desk.”

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, who serves as chairman of the Huntington Water Quality Board, said the board has a massive responsibility of overseeing the floodwall, stormwater infrastructure and the city’s sanitary sewer system.

He said he has been working with Capito for years on the floodwall upgrades and she has become an active partner in addressing the flooding issues in the Fourpole Creek watershed.

“Both the floodwall and Fourpole Creek require a partnership between the city, state and federal government. The issues are complex and need comprehensive solutions, which are expensive,” he said. “We are so fortunate to have Senator Capito in a leadership position on the Senate EPW Committee. She is a benefit to our residents that is beyond measure.”

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee staff said the bill is enacted every two years and authorizes projects under the Corps that could make meaningful impacts on local communities. 

Overall, the 2022 version authorizes important projects and studies to address water-related challenges across the country. It also supports the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in responding to national and local priorities.

For West Virginia, the act will help the Corps conduct flood control, navigation and ecosystem restoration projects and create a path forward for new hydropower development at existing damages. Specifically, it greenlights moving forward with four different projects throughout the state.

With more federal funds, the floodwall project can be started quicker, should the act pass. The 8,300-foot-long levee would separate the City of Milton from the Lower Mud River to address flooding issues that have plagued the city for decades. Research has shown Milton has about a 3.7% chance each year of experiencing a major flooding event — about once every 27 years. The levee would make a major flood 10 times less likely to occur or once in every 250 years.

The act would also authorize feasibility studies for the rehabilitation of the City of Huntington’s floodwall and to address broader flooding issues caused by the Fourpole Creek watershed.

Staffers said feasibility studies are the first step in developing a project. It gives a chance for the Corps to partner with a nonfederal entity to take a holistic look at the areas subject to flooding, what the source of flooding is and how it could be fixed.

Huntington’s floodwall was built following the January 1937 Ohio River Valley flood and stretches from Westmoreland to Guyandotte. However, officials within Huntington believe the aging infrastructure is in much need of repair.

Likewise, flooding events have increased along Fourpole Creek for years, as changes in weather patterns and increasing “microbursts” of heavy rain become more common. Historically, the city’s flooding has been caused along the Ohio River, rather than inside city limits.

The act also has a proposal that would expedite completion of the Kanawha River Basin feasibility study for flood control, which will find future projects to prevent flooding in areas hurt by the 2016 flood.

Feasibility studies typically take three years to complete and cost about $3 million, with a 50% cost share of federal and nonfederal funding. The reports will provide multiple avenues for solutions and will also consider the economical impact, as well as weigh the costs and benefits of the needed changes, committee staff said.

The reports will be reviewed by the Corps and local governments, which will determine the next steps.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he was thrilled at the committee’s efforts, which address serious needs in West Virginia.

“Along with the investments made possible by my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this legislation will enable innovative projects to diversify and strengthen our economy, create new jobs and make our communities safer. I’m pleased this critical bill was the result of a regular order committee process with strong bipartisan support,” he said.

The bill is expected to pass through Congress and be signed by President Joseph Biden by the end of the year.