Members of the Atchison County Levee District #1, Troy LaHue, Gary Garst, Ryan Ottmann, and Regan Griffin, visit outside the Army Corps of Engineers trailer located at exit 107. Each of the generals led a question and answer session with the board.

Colonel Mark Himes, Omaha U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Commander, shakes Ryan Ottmann’s hand as he formally introduces himself to the Atchison County Levee District Board following the main meeting with the generals. Col. Himes wanted to visit with the board to make sure they didn’t have any questions.

Major General William Graham, Deputy Commanding General of Civil and Emergency Operations, and Brigadier General Peter Helmlinge, Northwestern Division Commander, traveled to Atchison County Wednesday, September 16, to inspect the southern end of the Omaha District Army Corps of Engineers levee system. During this visit they were able to get updates from the site managers and view the current construction being done to the L535 levee system. Upon arrival, the generals were introduced to the Atchison County Levee District #1 Board before starting the meeting in the office. The generals both asked several questions about how the board felt the project was going and what their main concerns were.

Board members talked about the current condition of the river and its capacity, along with navigation and management of the Missouri River. Garry Garst expressed his concern that the Missouri River can no longer handle the volume of water coming down the channel. This stresses our levee system which has been in place for over 70 years. Change is needed to manage the channel and reservoirs as they have silted in over the years. During the discussion MG Graham asked the board about the setback and how it was going. Ryan Ottmann explained that this was a difficult task to get completed due to the regulations which did not pertain to the current project. Ryan asked if there was any way the setback process could be streamlined for future projects. The generals took their time listening to everyone and asked several questions. Following the meeting with the Levee Board, they held a brief meeting with the site managers before traveling to the setback location of the levee.