The McKinley Channel project is part of the Corps of Engineers/City partnership to provide flood control for the city. Over 50% of the city is in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) according to FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Maps. The SFHA is the area that has a 1% annual chance of being flooded (also referred to as the 100-year flood). After completion of the South Channel portion of this long project, over 300 structures were removed from the SFHA. When the McKinley Channel is complete, there will be more structures within the project area that will be able to be taken out of the SFHA. The channel will provide savings by providing reduced damage from flooding.
The McKinley Channel Project was developed in 8 Phases.
Phase 8 was awarded on January 25, 2019, and began May 7, 2019.
As of January of 2020, the project is at the final stage (phase 8).
THINGS TO KNOW:
- Trucks will be moving dirt from the upstream end of the channel near Thunder Road on the east side of Scenic Drive, down to other portions of the channel. This dirt will be used for the construction of these other areas of the channel.
- This project is expected to be completed in Spring 2022, depending on the weather.
