‘Decades of neglect’: Petersburg says Corps of Engineers started dredging project, left it unfinished

PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Flood levels rose in Petersburg on the evening of Monday, July 14, prompting the city to declare a state of emergency. Mayor Parham then said that more funding to update the city’s drainage system over the past few decades could’ve prevented it.

In a perfect world, rainwater coming from the City of Petersburg would drain into the harbor channel and out into the Appomattox River. But instead, Mayor Samuel Parham said there’s so much silt built up in the harbor that the water rolls right back into the city.

“The intensity of the rain and the short period of time that it happened- that, that jumps on you real quick,” city manager John “March” Altman said during a press conference on Tuesday, July 15.

City officials want to dredge the river and remove sediment or debris to deepen the channel, which would help prevent flooding.

Officials are hoping the floods will show just how badly updates to the drainage infrastructure are needed.

“What we are seeing now are definitely the horrific effects of the many decades of neglect,” Mayor Parham said at the same press conference.

Mayor Parham said that they’re looking at bringing in some public or private partners to hopefully work with the Corps of Engineers to get more funding for the “tremendous dredging problems.”

“It’s just a pool of water that sits there and it’s not flowing in any direction,” Mayor Parham said. “So, that’s kind of like the barrier between our drainage and the river and getting that water from downtown.” 

Mayor Parham said the city has spent decades trying to get funding from the Corps but that they’ve neglected it.  

The city’s spokesperson, Joanne Williams, tells 8News the Corps started dredging the river right before a large hurricane hit the US, although she didn't specify which one.

She said the Corps and its money left to aid cleanup, and the Corps did not return to complete the project because money ran out. As a result, there are continuous drainage problems.

“It is decades worth of projects that have built up over time, and now we’re in a position where we’re gonna start- we need to address those and we’re gonna move forward with a positive plan to address coming into the future,” Altman said.

Mayor Parham said another obstacle is moving up on the to-do list despite competing with other big river projects in the state. Despite this, the estimated price for this project is about $250,000,000.

8News reached out to the Corps of Engineers twice about the city's claims but have not heard back.