Announcement: Open Office Hours
Attention Local Residents and Stakeholders: Open Office Hours
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntington District invites you to participate in open office hours regarding the Lower Mud River Flood Risk Management Project.
The USACE will continue to hold open office hours approximately every three months. The next open office hours will be held at Milton City Hall on the evening of Aug. 13, 2026, from 3 to 6:30 p.m. USACE representatives will be available during this time to discuss the project status, answer questions, and listen to any concerns you may have. Milton City Hall is located at 1139 Smith St., Milton, W.Va.
The City of Milton, W.Va., has a history of flooding dating back to the early 1900s. Major floods occurred in 1913, 1939, 1978, 1997 and 2003. More recent floods have occurred in 2015, 2019, 2021 and February 2023. The flood of record occurred in 1997, when approximately eight inches of rain fell on the Lower Mud River basin from Feb. 28 to March 3. An estimated 360 residences, 80 businesses, and 20 public and institutional buildings, including two schools in Milton, were damaged by flooding. Some residences and businesses along U.S. Route 60 near the river had flood waters 1.5 to 2 feet over the first floors. Total damages for the Milton area were estimated to be approximately $23 million in 1997 dollars. A reoccurrence of that event is estimated to cause more than $53 million in 2024 dollars.
The Lower Mud River Flood Risk Management Project would implement measures to reduce risk to life safety, infrastructure, property, emergency response and economic productivity. Annual benefits provided by the project are estimated to be approximately $7.8 million per year at fiscal year 2024 levels. The project aims to provide flood risk reduction to the residences and businesses of Milton. It is designed to significantly reduce flood risk for most of Milton up to a 0.4% annual exceedance probability flood event — a 250-year flood. The project would provide flood risk reduction to approximately 600 structures, including residences, businesses, public structures, personal property and critical infrastructure.
Figure 1: Depicts the existing 1% and 0.4% AEP (or 100-year and 250-year) Mud River floodplains for the Milton area.
Figure 2: Depicts an approximation of the proposed 1% Mud River floodplain with implementation of the Lower Mud River Flood Risk Management Project. Please note this figure does not include a depiction of interior stormwater drainage.
Project Description
The approved plan consists of an approximately 6,800 linear foot earthen levee and a 1,500 linear foot concrete floodwall, for a total of an approximate 8,300-foot alignment. The project alignment generally parallels U.S. Route 60 just north of the Mud River. A stoplog closure would be constructed at Bill Blenko Drive to be closed during flood events that exceed specified elevations.
Approximately 1,045 feet of the Mud River would be rerouted where the levee would be constructed through a bend in the river. A new channel approximately 700 feet in length would be constructed south of the existing channel using the relocated water supply low head weir as a grade control structure. Channel modifications would be constructed just above the normal flow of the river to improve hydraulic efficiency and offset potential induced hydraulic impacts caused by project construction.
Two pump stations and excavated ponding areas would be constructed to pump water from the north side of the levee during a storm event. The pump stations and ponding areas would be located on Johns Branch and Newmans Branch. Utility lines such as sewer, water, natural gas and electric power will also need to be relocated.
Much of the material for levee construction would be sourced from excavation of the new stream channel, channel modifications, and identified borrow sites. The identified borrow sites are primarily agricultural areas south of the Mud River, with the exception of the largest site located to the north along Prichard Road.
Figure 3: Depicts a simplified visual of the major project features and example renderings.
Figure 4: Depicts a simplified visual of the major project features.
Where We Are / Current Status
The USACE has recently completed project design and construction is anticipated to begin in 2028. Real estate acquisition needed for construction has resumed by the state of West Virginia, the non-federal sponsor.
Project Background
The need for flood risk management along the Mud River was identified many years ago, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service completed a study of flooding in the watershed in 1993. The NRCS recommended plan focused primarily on urban flooding around Milton. Section 580 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 transferred the study to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 2004, the Huntington District prepared a draft limited reevaluation report and supplemental environmental impact statement. At that time, further implementation guidance was requested from USACE headquarters and the project awaited further direction.
In 2018, the Bipartisan Budget Act provided supplemental funding outside of the normal USACE budget. The Lower Mud River Flood Risk Management Project was identified as a long-term disaster recovery investment and received this funding. The project’s decision document and environmental assessment was approved in November 2019.
In 2021, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling revealed increased water surface elevation, resulting in potentially significant impacts that had not been previously evaluated. This led to the Huntington District completing a 2024 engineering documentation report and integrated supplemental environmental assessment. The approved plan includes refinements of the levee alignment, the addition of channel modifications and floodplain benching, optimized pump station sizing, and mitigation feature refinements. The final design was completed in July 2026.
The approved plan was developed to substantially minimize or avoid impacts to the community on the exterior of the levee due to an increase in water surface elevation.
The final engineering documentation report and supplemental environmental assessment is available at the link below: