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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District is currently conducting a Flood Risk Management (FRM) Feasibility Study in Selma, which is expected to be completed by October 2021.

According to the USACE’s website, the “comprehensive engineering, economic and environmental study” will look at various methods of flood management in the area – examining the “costs, benefits and environmental impacts” of each – to select a plan “to manage and reduce the negative consequences and hazards associated with flooding.”

Funding for the study, which is expected to cost $3 million and will be fully covered by the federal government, was appropriated in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.

The USACE Mobile District is also preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act as part of the study, which will evaluate the current conditions of the area.

The data from the EA will then be used as part of the study to determine the potential environmental impacts of any strategies considered to mitigate flood risk in the area.

The FRM Study has thus far investigated an “array of alternatives” in Selma, including buyouts, levees and a number of bankline stabilization options, with the final results set to appear in the FRM Report and Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment.

According to the website, the Mobile District will regularly provide updates on the study to the public through its website.

“The Mobile District is committed to keeping the public and all interested stakeholder groups informed through public meetings, the USACE Mobile webpage and social media,” a statement on the agency’s website said. “The study is ongoing. The decision on what, if any, plan is recommended will be determined by the outcome of the study.”

To follow the study’s progress, visit sam.uace.army.mil, click on the “Missions” link and scroll down to the “Program and Project Management” link; once there, a sidebar will appear labeled “Civil Projects” and from there the “Selma, Alabama Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study” link can be accessed.

As documents become available, they will appear on the page’s menu under the “Document Library” link.