OMAHA, Neb. -- Officials at Omaha's Eppley Airfield have declared victory in their fight against the summer flooding along the Missouri River. Now they have to clean up the mess left by the high water.
Contractors have begun the initial stages of the demobilization process of the flood control infrastructure around the airport property.
"At the start of this, we had two main objectives: To maintain normal air operations and to protect airfield assets," said Dave Roth with Eppley Airfield. "We've come to the end and we've met those two [objectives.]"
The specially designed wells that kept the water away from the runways will continue to operate through October.
"We will pull the pumps out and the infrastructure and piping will stay in place through the winter," said Roth.
The victory over the flood has come at a price. The Omaha Airport Authority said it has spent $17 million in flood control, but will ultimately spend $26 million.
The flooding also has an environmental price. There is a 300-yard swath of wasteland filled with sand and silt between the river bank and the airport's levee system. The property, which is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers, was a mix of grassy plains and farmland that was leased out by the airfield. It's not clear if the Corps will restore the area to the way it was.
Eppley officials said they are just relieved the levee system held back the river, the pumps worked and flights stayed on schedule.
"The team came together," said Roth. "They all did an excellent job."
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