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Some residents want questions answered over dismantled levee

A public meeting on the levee issue has been scheduled for April 5.

BARSTOW, Illinois - - Some residents of Barstow aren't happy with the dismantling of a levee they say helps protect them from Rock River flooding.

"Without the levee, Barstow will flood. There's no question about it," said Doug Riel, a Barstow resident and Fire Protection District trustee. "It's been here for 42 years. If you take the levee out of here, you're going to flood the fire station and you're going to flood the community around it."

The unauthorized barrier was built out of sand and dirt by a land owner in 1974 who was trying to keep water out of his trailer park.

Rock Island County bought the trailer park recently with federal grant money and took a chunk out of the levee a few months ago, and intends to take more.

"It's not a certified structure designed or intended to protect the whole town of Barstow. It was done by a landowner to protect the trailers. We've been cited by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, it's a violation of state law," said Greg Thorpe, head of the county's Zoning and Building Safety department.

"I have zero faith in that levee," Thorpe added.

The county plans to turn the former trailer park land into  green space to allow the water to flow into the low-lying acreage.

"Why not open it up and create flood storage?" he said.

Riel says the levee may not be in compliance, but believes it should be grandfathered. He says the only time the residential part of Barstow flooded was in 2013, when the water came up over a compromised portion of the earthen barrier.

Thorpe said that is not the case, adding that the barrier doesn't prevent flooding, it just diverts the water into the back end of the town.

"There are properties in Barstow that have been on the repetitive loss list, meaning that they repetitively flood. I don't know how he can say Barstow doesn't flood," Thorpe said.

Barstow was built in the middle of a flood plain. Existing structures include the fire department, post office, and 46 homes, some of which are abandoned. Not all the homes are elevated. Since 1979, records show insured homeowners have filed just more than $380,000 in flood claims.

An informational meeting will be held for residents with representatives from the county, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources on April 5th at 5:30 at the Rock Island County Building.

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