Together...restoring the third largest watershed in the world!

In the last 15 years, the Mississippi River Valley has experienced several flood events, which in turn have created collaborative working groups to solve the immediate issues. However, the Spring Mississippi River Basin Flood 2011 needed the assistance of multiple federal and state agencies to include the following states: Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

The Interagency Recovery Task Force (IRTF) is intended to create a mutual and holistic method of rehabilitating our flood risk management systems damaged by recent flood events, by collaborating and combining solutions for short and long-term restoration efforts. The Task Force will consist of lead agencies and state appointed members involved in the assessment, documentation, and repair of flood risk management, flood plain management and watershed management systems.

Goals & Objectives:

• Implement a consistent approach across region and state boundaries in order to prioritize agencies, authorities, and resources in the rehabilitation process.
• Create a strong team to inspect, review, repair and restore our flood risk management system and adjacent project.
• Create an IRTF management plan.
• Share responsibility for all flood plain management restoration initiatives, programs, and projects in order to reduce flood risks long term.
• Supply an effective outreach program to communicate short and long term to the public, as well as, educate on the agencies’ responsibilities, programs and authorities.
• Pursue all potential funding methods from federal and state resources.
• Give consideration to all structural and non-structural alternatives in repair and restoration.
• Create a regional post flood report.
• Approximately $1-2 billion in critical and non-critical damages.