Levee decertification could be disaster for Prairie Du Rocher, village officials say

— Amy Barbeau, president of the Prairie Du Rocher Chamber of Commerce, Levee Commissioner Steve Gonzalez and Village President Ray Cole agree that decertifying the levee that protects this Randolph County town of 650 could be a disaster for the historic village.

In 2004, the levee that protects Prairie Du Rocher was accredited as a 100-year levee by the Federal Emergency Management Agency after 20 years of work and $3.1 million in improvements to the levee. Then along came Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and FEMA changed the rules for certification in 2006.

Officials in Prairie du Rocher are needing to raise $60,000 to fund a study to certify their levee. Not having the levee certified will have a significant impact on residents, including higher flood insurance rates and no state or federal funding for repairs.

Certification means that a levee meets Federal requirements to reduce the risk of flooding from a major event. If a levee is certified, FEMA will accredit or recognize the levee on a flood map. Those maps are used to determine flood risk in an area.

“Levee certification means a lot to Prairie Du Rocher,” Barbeau said.

Without certification, flood insurance rates will rise. Cole said they could be 10 to 15 times higher than current rates. If a resident pays $346 for flood insurance, the cost will rise to $3,460. Banks loans would be nearly impossible to secure, and current loans would require flood insurance.

Also, construction of new buildings would not be allowed.

Barbeau explained that insurance rates for some would be higher than mortgage payments, making homes nearly impossible to afford. Current residents would be forced to relocate.

Prairie Du Rocher was given a reprieve when the Federal government withheld money to update the maps in 2006, but time is nearly up. At a meeting in December, FEMA gave the village 18 months to complete the process.

“In 2004, the decision came down that we are certified,” Cole said. “In 2006, they changed the rules.”

“It’s unfortunate that the whole country is held to the standards of a unique situation,” Barbeau said.

Certification begins with a study either by a private engineer or the Army Corps of Engineers. Once the study is completed, any deficiencies with the levee must be fixed or improved before the levee can be certified.

A gravity drain failed and began to erode the levee. Illinois Emergency Management Agency came up with funding to fix the drain. The drains are at least 50 years old, and two more projects need to be completed.

“Our game plan became keeping the town safe,” Gonzalez said.

The Army Corps of Engineers got involved and agreed to do the survey, which is substantially cheaper than hiring a private engineer. The Army Corps of Engineers survey is half done. The first installment of $42,000 has been paid, but a payment of $62,000 is needed to complete the survey.

“They are looking for that money up front, rather than when the study is completed,” Gonzalez said.

It is possible for the levee district to get a tax anticipation loan from Buena Vista Bank in Prairie Du Rocher. They can borrow up to 75 percent of the assessment or $46,000, but that money would have to be paid back.

The Corps also will allow volunteers to do the resounding of relief wells.

“After that we will know how many relief wells we will have to replace,” Gonzalez said.

Levee commissioners already knows two wells will have to be replaced. The cost to replace them is $50,000 each.

But there is some good news, too.

“We have raised a substantial amount from local businesses and individuals — $13,000,” Barbeau said. “It’s encouraging that people are stepping up and supporting their town.”

A donation made during the Chamber of Commerce meeting July 21 of $5,000 by Craig Hern of HTC brought that total to $18,000. Barbeau said the money has been raised through T-shirt sales, concerts, dinners and even lemonade stands.

“About 250 homes are protected by the levee, and a lot of them are French names that go back to the beginning of the town,” Cole said.

“Prairie Du Rocher was founded almost 100 years before the state was formed,” Barbeau said.

The town and its levee protect a lot of history, including the cemetery where the Jesuit priest who founded the town and soldiers from every U.S. war are buried. Two places in the area are listed on the National Historic Register, Fort de Chartres and the Modoc Rock Shelter. Prairie Du Rocher is part of the French Colonial Historic District, which runs from Fort de Chartres to Kaskaskia Island.

For more information or to donate, visit the Prairie Du Rocher Chamber of Commerce website or mail donations in care of the chamber to P.O. Box 342, Prairie Du Rocher, IL 62277.

This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Levee decertification could be disaster for Prairie Du Rocher, village officials say."