The Woodson Levee District Board announced Monday that it has secured a $3 million grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) to fund improvements to the Woodson Levee system.
According to district officials, the funding represents the largest investment in the levee system in more than 70 years and is intended to strengthen flood protection for communities in southern Pulaski County.
The project includes repairing inoperable floodgates, removing trees and other vegetation from the levee to improve its stability, and completing upgrades needed to qualify the Woodson Levee District for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Rehabilitation Assistance Program.
Officials said the improvements are expected to enhance flood protection for residents, businesses, farmland and critical infrastructure throughout the district while improving the levee system’s long-term resilience.
The Woodson Levee District serves the communities of Woodson, Hensley and Wrightsville along the right bank of the Arkansas River south of Little Rock.
District officials said the project reflects the board’s ongoing efforts to maintain the levee system and ensure local tax dollars are being used to improve flood protection infrastructure. They also described the project as the first phase of broader efforts to strengthen the levee system.
