State project to fortify dikes underway near river in Olean

OLEAN — The City of Olean received an undisclosed amount of funding from a $21 million state flood protection fund, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week.

Besides Olean, the state funding will address Southern Tier stormwater management flood protection projects and resilient infrastructure projects in Binghamton, Elmira and Whitney Point, according to the Governor’s Office.

The money comes from the Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which was approved by voters that year.

The Olean project includes improvements to the Olean Flood Control Project located on the Allegheny River and Olean Creek. The project will stabilize a section of existing levee system, mitigate erosion, and improve access to the levee for regular DEC maintenance, the Governor’s Office stated.

The flood control structures were originally constructed to specifically address flooding along the Southern Tier were built in the 1940s and early 1950s.

“As we face more and more devastating extreme storms, we must do everything we can to ensure our communities are resilient, sustainable and ready,” Hochul said in a statement.

“We saw the flooding in Binghamton almost 15 years ago, and we don’t want to see it again. These projects help us get ahead of the storm damage, save taxpayers millions of dollars in the long run, and prevent post-flood recovery costs for homeowners and businesses alike,” Hochul said.

Olean Mayor Bill Aiello said the state funding will fortify areas of the flood control protection dikes near the Olean wastewater treatment plant.

A crane has been positioned outside the wastewater treatment plant and yellow inflated tubing has been placed in the river to contain any contaminants that may be encountered while fortifying the dike area.

The project was announced at a time when the city is under pressure to get the city dikes on the Allegheny River and Olean Creek prepared for reaccreditation. “This will help with the recertification of the dike system,” Aiello told the Olean Star.

The project to fortify areas of the dikes also comes at a time when municipalities throughout the county are being urged to participate in a Federal Emergency Management Agency initiative to maintain or modify the flood protection system so new flood maps won’t expand the flood plain and cause more homes and businesses to have flood insurance.

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