San Juan, Puerto Rico -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces that Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, commanding general, has signed the Chief’s Report for the Rio Culebrinas Flood Damage Reduction Study in Puerto Rico.
The signing of this report marks a crucial milestone and progresses the proposed project to Congress for individual authorization.
“Today we are celebrating a tremendous milestone, our team has worked tirelessly in order to get us to this point and to advance this project closer to reality,” said Jacksonville District Commander, Col. Drew Kelly. “We were given a mission which was to come up with innovating solutions in order to protect our communities from the devastating flood effects and this proposed project fulfills that mission.”
The study was initially authorized under the Continuing Authorities Program (CAP), Section 205 of the Flood Control Act of 1948, Public Law 80-858, as amended. The study, completed at full federal expense, was funded by the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act, at a cost of $400,000. The Municipality of Aguadilla is the non-federal sponsor for the project.
The primary goal and purpose of the proposed project is to protect the communities in the study area by providing effective flood protection and reducing damages.
The Río Culebrinas basin is in the northwestern part of Puerto Rico, has an area of 272 square kilometers. Floods represent a threat to life and property of residents from Aguadilla and Aguada, with a combined population of approximately 120,000 inhabitants. The recommend plan includes construction of two segments of approximately 2 miles of earthen levees, a 197 feet cutoff channel, drainage structures, interior drainage channels, and three paved road ramps across the levees to reduce flood damages to the southwest portion of Aguadilla and the community of Espinar in Aguada.
Additional information on the Rio Culebrinas project is available at the study’s website at: http://www.saj.usace.army.mil/RioCulebrinas
Release no. 20-069