Protecting Infrastructure: Emergency Streambank Stabilization

The Emergency Streambank Stabilization program has been a vital part of protecting local infrastructure, including bridges and other utilities, from the dynamic rivers and streams in Missouri. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District has a long-established emergency streambank stabilization program, carried out under Section 14 of the 1946 Flood Control Act. The program is cost shared 65 percent Federal, 35 percent local, and after construction, projects are turned over to the local partners, or "sponsors" for ownership and maintenance. In the region surrounding Kansas City, the program has consistently provided for projects which protect critical infrastructure such as roadways, bridges, and utilities, from severely eroding stream banks. Sponsors include counties, cities, Indian Tribes, and state departments of transportation. This paper presents two of ten projects built in the last ten years that have served two sponsors very well: the City of Parkville, Missouri and the Missouri Department of Transportation. Section 14 projects are developed and constructed in a multi-stage process. This process includes evaluation of multiple stabilization techniques, including longitudinal peak stone toe protection (LPSTP), bank armoring, bendway weirs, dikes, jetties, sheet piling, bioengineering, and windrow revetments. The Section 14 program plays a key role in protecting rural and urban transportation and water infrastructure. It assists states and local governments in diligently monitoring and maintaining their infrastructure, supports economic health and development, and contributes to sustainable water resources in the community. Finally, Section 14 program is an example of a highly beneficial partnership between a Federal agency and state and local governments.