Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Corps says no to funding Ebner Coulee project
The U.S. Corps of Engineers has told the city of La Crosse it will not help with a project to eliminate Ebner Coulee flood plain areas.
The project is not cost effective, the corps said after estimating the cost at more than $26 million.
"I'm extremely disappointed that the Corps of Engineers concluded that the Ebner Coulee flood plain area is not eligible to receive up to two-thirds of federal funding to remove the remaining 191 homes from the flood plain," said La Crosse Common Council member Richard Becker, who represents the area.
Many of those homeowners are upset they were not removed from the flood plain when 352 homeowners were removed with the remapping after the Ebner Coulee flood plain box pipe project, he said.
The city's Engineering Department sent letters to residents informing them of the corps' decision.
In addition to reporting the corps' decision, the letter says city staffers are evaluating solutions for portions of the Ebner Coulee flood plain.
The Engineering Depart-ment is trying to identify possible solutions and put price tags on them, said engineer Greg Pederson. Then the council will decide whether the city should spend the money.
The city still is looking into creating a retention basin on La Crosse Floral property, he said. That would help the portion of the flood plain north of Jackson Street.
Some of the water from the northern portion goes to the middle portion of the flood plain, between Jackson Street and State Road. But Pederson said a project there also would need to deal with water that comes westward from the bluffs.
A box-pipe installed in that area was sized to alleviate street flooding, not to carry water from a major flood, he said.
In the southern portion of the flood plain, between West Fairchild Street and Glendale Avenue, the city has bought an empty lot. Creating a holding pond there might help take the seven homes out of the flood plain, Pederson said.
In addition to creating a pond, he said the city would need to increase the size of the storm sewer pipes and increase the number of catch basins to take the water off the streets more quickly.
Joan Kent can be reached at (608) 791-8221 or jkent@lacrossetribune.com.
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