FENTON, Mo. – Fenton residents filled city hall to hear what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be doing to help solve the city’s flooding issues.
Matt Jones with the Corps of Engineers St. Louis District said there are two options: structural and non-structural. Structural solutions would include building levees, while non-structural solutions would require home buyouts, flood-proofing homes, or home elevations.
Jones said that the Corps of Engineers has been leaning toward more non-structural solutions recently.
“I would say in the last couple of decades, we’ve been more focused on green infrastructure and nature-based solutions,” Jones said. “Trying to live with water instead of trying to move water.”
Fenton Mayor Joe Maurath agrees with the non-structural solution approach. The City of Fenton has already purchased several homes due to flooding issues, according to the city’s mayor.
“We don’t believe that a levee is an issue for us here, it wouldn’t really help us,” Maurath said.
Maurath’s lived in the area for 40 years and has seen a number of the city’s historic floods.
“I was here for the 1983, ’85, and 1993 flood,” he said.
Maurath said that while figuring out the flooding issue is important, resident health and safety are his top priorities.
The Army Corps of Engineers will finish the study at the end of next year. The City of Fenton will need to approve any solution they suggest.