Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced today that the Truckee Meadows Flood Control Project has been approved for construction by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. The Truckee Meadows Flood Control Project is designed to reduce damages and casualties from a 100-year flood event, while to the extent possible, enhancing the Truckee River's natural functions and public access.
"Nevada's homeowners and businesses must be protected from the devastating flooding that has a history of occurring in the Reno-Sparks area," Reid said. "The Truckee River is one of Nevada's most important assets and I remain committed to investing in the critical infrastructure needed to improve its safety and environment. This is not the final step, but Northern Nevada is one step closer to securing the flood protection that its residents and businesses deserve. I thank Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy for her commitment to this project and the stakeholders in Nevada that have remained committed to this process for several years."
The Truckee River Flood Management Authority is the local sponsor for this project and its Executive Director is Jay Aldean. The Truckee River Flood Management Authority was formed in 2011 via an Interlocal Cooperative Agreement between the partner agencies of Washoe County and the cities of Reno and Sparks.
"The Truckee River Flood Management Authority is very pleased with the effort of Senator Reid in working with Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, in obtaining the Final Record of Decision for the Truckee Meadows Nevada Project," said Aldean. Although a major hurdle to this project was met last year through Senator Reid's effort in combination with Senator Heller's and Representative Amodei's support of our project in Congress, there still has been a significant amount of effort and follow-through required to complete this Federal process and secure, once and finally, the referenced Record of Decision.
With the success of this key effort, this closes one chapter in the overall Federal process to secure Federal participation of a flood control project for this region. The Truckee River Flood Management Authority will continue working with Senator Reid to begin the next chapter in the process of building a flood project -- there is still much to do. Today we honor Senator Reid for his effort on our region's behalf and look forward to his continued support of this vital project for the Truckee Meadows."