Environmental Assessment. Rehabilitation and Repair Root River and Rush Creek Flood Control Project, Rushford, Minnesota

摘要

The city of Rushford is located in southeastern Minnesota in Fillmore County, approximately 100 miles southeast of St. Paul, Minnesota and 25 miles west of LaCrosse, WI. Rush Creek passes through the City of Rushford, entering on the northeast corner of the community and exits 1.4 Miles downstream at the confluence of the creek with the Root River. The Rush Creek watershed above Rushford is approximately 135 square miles. The Root River passes on the south side of the community and continues for approximately 25-miles to where it joins with the Mississippi River. A flood control project along the Root River and Rush Creek was completed by the Corps of Engineers in 1968 at Rushford, Minnesota. On August 17-18, 2007, up to 17 inches of rain fell over southeast Minnesota and the Rush Creek/Root River drainage basin within a 24 hour period. The resulting conditions resulted in extensive damage to the existing flood control project at Rushford including: debris at each of the bridge crossings; a new creek channel cut at the upstream end of the project; sediment accumulation in the storm water drainage swales/ discharge pipes; displaced riprap along the channel and dry run; sloughing of the riverward slope of the levee downstream of the railway/recreation trail bridge; and electrical damage to the pump stations.