"This is a high priority project in terms of our recovery," said Larry Bulloch, the city's public-works director, pointing to a 300-foot section of Valley View Drive in this southwest Utah community.
He stood next to a spot where the road now drops off into a muddy channel created when Santa Clara River flood waters caused $145 million in damage to public infrastructure and $85 million to private property.
Federal funds are only available to fix damage to public infrastructure, leaving assistance for losses to individuals up to private relief efforts.
But Sen. Orrin Hatch said Wednesday he will seek relief for those homeowners, and wants backing from the Bush administration.
Toward that goal, Hatch will try to include $68.4 million in the upcoming $82 billion supplemental bill that is intended to fund military operations in Iraq, which includes nearly $1 billion to help Southeast Asian countries recovering from the recent tsunami disaster.
"If we have a billion dollars for flood victims in Southeast Asia, we should be able to find several million to aid and protect our own," Hatch said.
Meanwhile Bulloch said Valley View Drive is a primary route for uniting the northern part of the city to the Green Valley area across the river to the south.
"People now have to find a way around [the washout] just to get to church and school," said Bulloch.
Restoration plans for the road are in the works. Bulloch said a temporary bridge is expected to be up by summer and a permanent structure in place in two years.
The city was designing a bridge when the crossing was destroyed by the flood, said Bulloch.
The cost will be about $3.5 million, with the Federal Highway Administration paying for most of it.
To help prevent future flood problems, Bulloch said the city - along with nearby Santa Clara and Washington County's Water Conservancy District - will also soon launch a $150,000 river-management study that will look at where erosion hazards exist along the banks of the Santa Clara and Virgin rivers, re-evaluate flood-plain boundaries, recommend how the rivers can be used by the public and address development concerns.
The only project found ineligible for federal funds, so far, has been the Enterprise Reservoir and Canal Co. in Enterprise, which only delivers irrigation, not culinary, water.
mhavnes@sltrib.com
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Tribune reporter Robert
Gehrke contributed to this story.
Book, DVD sales to help flood victims
St. George on Thursday debuted a book and DVD containing stories and photographs chronicling the flood last month.
The book and DVD will be available for $35 at the Parade of Homes, today in the Red Cliffs Mall; everyday at all Lin's Markets; and also can be ordered online at http://www.sgcity.org. The money will go to a civic relief effort organized to raise funds to help private property owners who suffered losses in the flood.
Assistant City Manager Marc Mortenson said the $35 price is considered a minimum donation to the relief fund and that so far donations on pre-ordered books average about $120 each.
