Photo By James Finn | A view of the completed installation of emergency backup pumps and piping at the...... read more read more
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on March 13, to provide supplemental pumping capacity for the Muscatine Island Levee District-Louisa County Drainage District No. 13 Segment of the Muscatine, Iowa, Flood Risk Management System. The activation follows a request from the State of Iowa due to a critical reduction in the levee system’s pumping ability.
The system, protecting both urban and agricultural areas along the banks of the Mississippi River, is facing challenges after two pumps failed, leaving it operating at only 30% of its designed capacity. An initial pump failure occurred during the 2024 flood event, with the second pump failing more recently. The system relies entirely on pumping for interior drainage, making the reduced capacity a significant concern.
The Corps is deploying three 18-inch diesel pumps from its National Flood Fight Materiel Center (NFFMC) to supplement operations while the damaged pumps are repaired. This marks the first deployment of these larger pumps since their addition to the Corps’ inventory a few years ago.
“While we have extensive experience with smaller pumps, deploying the 18-inch models presents unique challenges,” explained Cory Haberman, National Flood Fight Materiel Center Program Manager. “These require substantial coordination for hose and fuel connections – the high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE) hose needs to be fused on-site – and necessitate the use of heavy equipment like a crane for proper placement.”
The decision to deploy three pumps, despite only two being inoperable, stems from capacity limitations within the Corps’ inventory. “The two permanent pumps that are currently down provide a combined capacity of 238,000 cubic feet per second (CFS),” Haberman stated. “Unfortunately, we don’t have pumps readily available that can fully replace that. Each of our 18-inch pumps provides up to 9,500 CFS.”
He added that the Corps anticipates one of the levee district’s pumps will be back online soon, further improving capacity.
Providing this assistance offers several benefits to the Corps. “We own these pumps and maintain them internally, eliminating rental costs,” Haberman said. “If a pump malfunctions while deployed, we can quickly mobilize our maintenance personnel to troubleshoot and restore operations.”
He also highlighted the Corps’ ability to provide continued support while the permanent pump is repaired.
While both the Corps and the Muscatine Island Levee District-Louisa County Drainage District will incur costs, Haberman explained the situation is unusual. “This wasn’t triggered by riverine flooding, but by the imminent threat of interior flooding due to the reduced pumping capacity. A moderate rainfall event could overwhelm the remaining pumps.” He noted there is close collaboration between the Corps and the levee sponsor, as both are contributing labor and equipment.
The pumps are expected to remain onsite until permanent pumping operations are restored through the completion of the PL 84-99 rehabilitation project. During this time, the levee sponsor will be responsible for fueling and operating the pumps.
This deployment also presents a valuable learning opportunity for the Corps. “Since this is our first time deploying the 18-inch pumps and HDPE pipe, we’re focused on capturing lessons learned and developing a checklist to streamline future deployments,” Haberman said. “We’re evaluating optimal pump placement, fueling procedures, hose routing, and discharge locations to ensure efficient and safe operations.”
Personnel from Engineering, Operations, and Emergency Management Divisions were onsite to oversee installation and ensure proper anchoring of the hose.
The levee sponsor’s support has been crucial throughout the process.
“This is a coordinated effort, and we’re committed to supporting the levee district in mitigating this risk,” Haberman concluded. “We’ve also included temporary pumping in the cost estimate for the PL 84-99 rehabilitation project, as a Phase 2 option, in case we need to rent larger pumps for additional support.”
| Date Taken: | 05.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2025 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 498572 |
| Location: | MUSCATINE, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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