BY: CINDY GONZALEZ
LINCOLN — Recent rain downpours in southwest Nebraska pushed the region’s flood infrastructure into action, and representatives of the state’s natural resources districts say those preventive measures saved an estimated $700,000 or so in damages.
The earlier investment in the flood infrastructure mitigated damage to agricultural land, homes and other structures in the path of unprecedented rainfall and a rapidly rising Republican River, said a news release from the association that represents state NRDs.
The Blackwood Creek watershed northwest of McCook, Nebraska, has 11 watershed flood reduction structures built through a partnership between the Middle Republican NRD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the statement said.
While the structures typically look like dry dams or pits, the earthen embankments spring into action during heavy rainfall to capture and safely release floodwater, said spokesperson Megan Grimes.
Recent rainfall brought an average of four inches of precipitation in six hours in the Blackwood Creek watershed. In capturing the runoff, the NRD said, the dams likely prevented an estimated $677,000 in damage to downstream property.
The Dry Creek watershed southwest of McCook saw between seven and 10 inches of rainfall during the same storm. The Middle Republican NRD’s six watershed structures along that portion of Dry Creek prevented an estimated $37,600 in damages to surrounding areas, according to the statement.
Grimes said NRD representatives sometimes field questions from people about the value of the structures, which may not appear relevant until the moments or episodes when they are needed.
“Investing in flood infrastructure is a proactive step that mitigates damages, reduces recovery costs, and ensures long-term resilience,” said Jack Russell, Middle Republican NRD general manager. “The benefits go beyond cost savings; these structures can be lifesaving.”
A key element of flood reduction in southwest Nebraska is a network of structures authorized under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, Public Law-566. Throughout Nebraska, the state’s NRDs used related federal funding, in partnership with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, to build and maintain the structures.
Allen Gehring, USDA-NRCS state conservation engineer, said the specially engineered flood protection systems played a crucial role in minimizing harm recently in southwest Nebraska.
“The larger watershed contains a network of infrastructure that minimized the overall flooding from the Republican River and its tributaries,” Gehring said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that for every dollar spent on flood mitigation, an average of $6 can be saved in post-disaster recovery costs, the NRD association news release said.