In August 2007, the City of Rushford experienced a flood that overtopped its levees and flooded many of the homes and businesses in the city. The peak flow was over two times the design flow and was the result of the largest 24-hour rainfall recorded in Minnesota history.
Barr worked with the City of Rushford and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to design corrective measures for the levee and flood conveyance system to protect against flooding from the Root River and Rush Creek. These corrective measures allowed the levee to be compliant with current Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and USACE standards. The corrective measures also reinforced channel armoring and addressed deficiencies noted during inspections. The primary corrective measures included over 3,600 lineal feet of seepage collector and approximately 450 relief wells to capture seepage below the levee.
The flood protection system was extended by constructing a new, 800-foot-long levee. Barr evaluated the freeboard protection based on anticipated future sedimentation and recommended areas where the levee should be raised. The corrective measures also required Barr to design roadway changes and utility relocation.
Levee system repairs were completed in 2012. During construction, Barr worked with the city to obtain bids, administer the construction contract, and document construction. After construction, Barr provided the certification documentation to FEMA to demonstrate that the levee meets applicable flood protection standards for the city’s residents and business owners.