Following Historic Flooding, Arkansas Governor Orders Review of the State’s Levees

Arkansas’ governor has ordered a review of the state’s levees and is asking lawmakers to approve $10 million for immediate repairs after historic flooding along the Arkansas River.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed an executive order creating the Arkansas Levee Task Force to study and analyze the condition of the state’s levees. Hutchinson said the panel will have about 20 members and will make recommendations to him by Dec. 31 on ways to improve monitoring and maintenance of the state’s levee system.

Several Arkansas levees were affected by the flooding that began in late May, including one in western Arkansas that was breached. Hutchinson said the flooding revealed many weaknesses in the state’s levee system.

He said the panel’s tasks will include identifying sources and requirements for funding the construction, repair and maintenance of the 93 levees in the state.

The governor noted that less than 20 of those levee boards have filed reports required under a 2017 law about the condition of their levees and their organizational structure. He said some levee reports weren’t filed because they didn’t have anyone overseeing them.

“That is one of the challenges we face,” he said. “We have levees that are needed, but there’s not an organizational structure that will provide the maintenance, the inspections that are needed to keep them up to standard and to levy any assessments that are needed to provide the funding for the maintenance of those levees.”

Hutchinson called the $10 million in funding a start and said additional funding may be proposed based on the task force’s recommendations.