U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines sent a letter to Colonel Robert Neebauer, district commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District, in support of the City of Glendive’s request for assistance with severe bank erosion along the Yellowstone River. Excerpt of the letter below:
“For over a decade, the Yellowstone River has been eroding the bank and is now threatening city infrastructure. Recently, Montana State University completed an analysis of the erosion and found that 10,740.08 m3 (14,047.49 yards3) of riverbank material was eroded and displaced between August 2019 and May 2023. This erosion has necessitated the relocation of water lines and utility poles to prevent damage. Additionally, the erosion has damaged Penninger Park forcing the city to close sections for safety. Now N. River Avenue is threatened with the river coming as close as 15 feet to the road in places.
“These threats to city infrastructure will harm the community’s overall resilience. Glendive has a low per capita income level and high unemployment, so qualifies for Section 165 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, Pilot Program for Continuing Authority Projects in Small or Disadvantaged Communities.
“Glendive has been working for over a decade to address the bank erosion problems on the Yellowstone River but to date has not secured state or federal funding needed for a solution, so this project offers the opportunity to protect the community from further damage caused by erosion,”Daines wrote.