Project Summary
The Oakville Breach Armoring project was designed to reinforce and protect a large section of main stem levee along the Iowa River at Oakville from wave action and erosion, particularly during future highwater events. A significant portion of the original levee was lost during the record high Flood of 2008 on the Iowa River. The new levee was set back from the river and constructed by the Corps in 2010.
Funding for this armoring project came from unused Community Development Block Grant monies for flood buyouts after the 2008 Flood that were previously allocated to Oakville. The owner was required to provide a financial match to meet the requirements of the CDBG grant.
The work consisted of placement of approximately 12,300 CY of bedding stone and over 40,500 CY of IaDOT Class B revetment with a 650 lb top size, meeting the most stringent USACE freeze / thaw criteria for non-submerged placement. The newly-placed armoring protects approximately 7,200 LF of levee through a sharp bend in the Iowa River. The project was designed to utilize precise placement techniques with GPS machine grade control equipment.
