The City of Fremont, NE lies in a precarious location at the confluence of two major river systems (Platte and Elkhorn Rivers) with another large creek bisecting the city limits. Growth and development pressures have strained the close relationship the community has with these water bodies and recent flood events have highlighted the significant underlying risk. Following these flood events, the community has completed six (6) distinct flood mitigation planning efforts. The City partnered with other local entities including Dodge County and the Lower Platte North Natural Resources District and utilized federal funds from FEMA, USDA/NRCS and ARPA to develop real mitigation strategies. An additional effort is being completed by the local hospital to identify flood threats to the hospital campus based on the best available flood data. The recommendations of each planning effort complement each other to address specific flood risks throughout the community. Recommendations ranged from large structural solutions for upstream storage and interior flood conveyance to nonstructural property modifications/acquisitions and even floodplain administration policies and procedures. With the culmination of these planning/scoping efforts, the City is now working towards implementing the recommendations. The City had originally targeted FEMA BRIC for one of the structural solutions. When the program was suspended, the City began identifying alternative funding sources and is currently utilizing a public/private for construction of at least a portion of the overall project targeted at the immediate high pay off activities. Session attendees will walk away with insights into how a community can work towards a more resilient future through an iterative process and multiple funding programs through the example of Fremont, Nebraska’s current journey to address area flood risk. Additionally, attendees will gain an overview of how technology fits within this process.
1301 2nd Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55404
United States