Financial Assistance Sought for Flood Risk Reduction Project
Feb. 28, 2022 - The Lower Heart River Water Resource District (LHRWRD) is seeking financial assistance through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant for a project to recertify the Lower Heart River levee system in Mandan. The grant would help reduce the local share of the $19.3 million FEMA recertification project, which will replace the floodwall, raise the top of the levee in certain reaches, extend a stability berm, re-align the levee, incorporate interior drainage improvements, and more.
The levee system runs from the second railroad bridge west of Mandan through the city to where the Heart River connects with the Missouri River. The area of land subject to flooding—the inundation area—is anything from downtown Mandan to Memorial Highway, including Lakewood and Borden Harbor areas. Click here to view an interactive map to search if a property falls within the inundation area or outside of it.
The LHRWRD and City of Mandan are working together to create a city-wide special assessment district for the project. If the BRIC grant is awarded, special assessments are estimated to be:
- Within the inundation area, $886 for residential and $1,107 for commercial properties.
- Outside the inundation area, the special assessment is estimated to be $211 for residential and $264 for commercial properties.
Without the BRIC grant, special assessments would double.
The LHRWRD, which owns and operates the levee system, is a board appointed by the Morton County Commission. The City, being the major benefactor of the project, is assisting to help reduce costs. If the project is not implemented, all properties within the inundated area would be subject to flood insurance requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. This would have an economic impact of about $9.6 million annually, directly affecting property values.
Bidding and construction is anticipated to take place in 2023 with construction being completed in 2025. Additional information is available at lowerheartriver.com/mandan-flood-risk-reduction-project.