City crews working to clear brush from Mad Creek Levee – Voice Of Muscatine

Crews from the City of Muscatine Sewer Collection & Drainage Division along with members of the Roadway Maintenance Division have been working on clearing brush from the Mad Creek Levee during the past several weeks. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) requires the levee side of Mad Creek to be cleared of vegetation to preserve the integrity of the levee.

The City of Muscatine is responsible for properly maintaining flood control works (FCWs) that include the crowns and side slopes of the levee system. The primary function of the levee is to protect communities from flooding. Trees and brush can affect the stability of the structure and interfere with emergency operations during high-water conditions according to USACE, thus all trees and brush must be cleared and disposed of away from the flood control project.

City crews began clearing the Mad Creek Levee from the Washington Street bridge several weeks ago and have continued clearing toward the confluence of Mad Creek with the Mississippi River.