MWRD receives FEMA grant to bolster flood resiliency
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) received nearly $10 million in funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to complete a critical project that reduces overbank flooding for six west suburban communities.
The $77 million Addison Creek Channel Improvement Project, approved by the MWRD Board of Commissioners on July 13, is the second phase of work to accompany a 195-million- gallon reservoir the MWRD is nearing completion in Bellwood.
Between the reservoir and channel improvements, the MWRD can alleviate public health and safety concerns by reducing overbank flooding to approximately 2,200 properties along the creek from Northlake to Broadview, including 1,700 properties anticipated to be removed from the regulatory floodplain.
“We thank FEMA and Illinois Emergency Management Agency for their generous support and Hazard Mitigation Grant funding that will allow us to complete the Addison Creek Channel Improvement Project,” said MWRD President Kari K. Steele. “As recent record rainfall can attest, every bit of investment will go a long way to protecting our communities, and this major investment from FEMA demonstrates their commitment and partnership to addressing climate change and stormwater management.”
The HMGP funds will help the MWRD to lower, widen and stabilize the existing Addison Creek channel to allow for a higher flow of water to pass through during a flooding event, and protect neighboring residents and businesses in Bellwood, Westchester, Broadview, Melrose Park, Stone Park and Northlake. The channel improvements project will include a mix of natural channel design, gabion baskets, soldier pile walls, concrete, riprap, articulated concrete blocks, vegetation clearing and removal of three bridges to reduce debris from restricting water flow.
“FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program enables communities to implement critical mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of future disaster losses,” FEMA Region 5 Regional Administrator Tom Sivak said in a news release announcing the funding. “The improvements to the Addison Creek channel will be an important step toward reducing damage and lessening the impact on individuals and the community when future flooding occurs in this area.”
HMGP provides funding to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures following a presidentially declared disaster.
The 600-acre-foot Addison Creek Reservoir was partially funded through a $5 million grant from Cook County’s Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery Program from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. It will hold close to 200 million gallons of storage capacity and connect with the Addison Creek Channel. In addition to providing flood control benefits, the reservoir will serve as compensatory storage for the channel improvements project.
The channel improvement project will call for nearly 300 construction jobs and will comply with the MWRD’s required Multi-Project Labor Agreement and Affirmative Action Ordinance to allow equal opportunity in contracting.
Flood reduction benefits will be fully achieved when the Channel improvements are completed in summer 2026.
The MWRD and partners will commemorate the completion of the reservoir and kick off the channel improvement project with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, Aug. 11 at 11 a.m. 2899 Washington Blvd., Bellwood, Illinois.
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