Oakport Flood Mitigation

The spring flood of 1997 was devastating for the entire Red River Basin. In the Oakport area, over 150 homes were damaged, and over 200 homes isolated from public safety and services. Similar events in 1969, 2000, and 2001 prompted the Oakport residents to seek permanent flood control. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) was asked to do a 205 Feasibility Study. In 2001, the USACE reported that a project would not meet their criteria. In November 2002, the Township asked the BRRWD to develop a project in accordance with Watershed Law. The BRRWD accepted the task, and construction of the $36 million project started in 2008. The project was not finished during the 2009 spring flood, so emergency measures were implemented, as necessary. The seven phases of the project were completed in 2016. The two individual levee systems, totaling approximately five miles in length, will be certified by FEMA.​​