By Katie Knapp Schubert
Omaha, NE – It cost the city of Omaha $500,000 to build a half-mile long earthen berm protecting the Missouri River Waste Water Treatment Plant.
The river is at 31 feet at Omaha as of Friday morning. Omaha's 13-mile long levee is 42 feet. A half-mile long addition to the levee was built this week at the Waste Water Treatment Plant on 13th Street. Omaha Public Works Environmental Services Manager Marty Grate says that levee is protecting $100 million dollars worth of assets. "A half million dollars is a lot of money, it's a large effort, but again to protect a hundred million dollars worth of assets we feel like it was a great investment for the community."
Omaha's Unified Command updated the flood situation during Friday's briefing. Unified Command spokesman Dan Stolinski says additional pumps are being used to remove water from Abbott Drive. There are no plans to close that street. A portion of John J. Pershing Road will close this weekend.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to release 150,000 cubic feet per second of water from Gavins Point Dam starting next week. A 34 to 36 foot crest is anticipated at Omaha.