Press Releases
Congressman Gosar Applauds the Army Corps of Engineers for Resuming Construction on the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project
Washington, DC,
February 14, 2012
U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. released the following statement regarding the Rio de Flag flood control project. This vital infrastructure project was included in the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2012 Work Plan, released last week.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2012 CONTACT: Apryl Marie Fogel Congressman Gosar Applauds the Army Corps of Engineers for Resuming Construction on the Rio de Flag Flood Control Project FLAGSTAFF, AZ – U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. released the following statement regarding the Rio de Flag flood control project. This vital infrastructure project was included in the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2012 Work Plan, released last week. Gosar stated “The Rio de Flag flood control project is one of the most important infrastructure projects in the country. The project’s completion is vital to the public safety of my constituents and the economic development of the Flagstaff metropolitan area. The failure to complete this project would have wasted the nearly $24 million invested in it to-date. I applaud the Corps for recognizing the urgency of this project and for including it.” Kevin Burke, City Manager for the City of Flagstaff said, “Funding for Rio de Flag this year was a collaborative, intensive effort that included high-level meetings with the Corps’s offices in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and visits to Flagstaff, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and Congressman Gosar and his staff. Without the commitment and resolve of each of these offices, funding wouldn’t have come to fruition in this fiscal year and the City is elated that this project is once again back on schedule.” Over the past year, Congressman Gosar has held numerous meetings including meetings with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regarding the Rio de Flag project. In May 2011, he authored a letter to the Office of Management and Budget and the USACE urging the agency to consider including the project in their FY2012 work plan. Additionally, the letter urged the Corps to complete the Chief’s Report which is necessary to ensure construction is not interrupted again. The Rio de Flag flood control project directly impacts over half of Flagstaff’s population of approximately 65,000 people. A single 100-year flood event could cause over $100 million in economic damages. Currently, the project is nearly halfway through its construction phase. ### |