‘We’re 30 years late’: Petersburg officials cite neglect of Appomattox as cause of recent major flooding
VENN
PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- Petersburg officials say the future of the city's downtown area is dependent on a significant cleanup of the Appomattox River -- something that hasn't been fully completed since 1949.
In a press conference held on Thursday, July 17, Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham gave a timeline detailing the causes and hopeful solutions regarding recent flooding events that forced residents out of their homes and resulted in the city being placed under a state of emergency.
The last time the Appomattox was fully dredged -- a process that cleans out buildup from river beds and allows water to flow more freely through waterways -- was in 1949, over 75 years ago.
While there was a partial dredging in 1993, the project was halted due to the discovery of polluted materials in the river, including fuel oils, grease and asphalt -- which officials said was likely leftover from the construction that established Interstate 95.
As a result of this neglect, decades of sediment and vegetation growth were allowed to accumulate within and along the Appomattox, turning a well-used commercial waterway into an emerging wetland ecosystem.
"We just really have to restore the Appomattox to the free-flowing usable river that it was until the late 1970s," Parham said.
The discovery of this timeline comes on the heels of severe weather hitting the region this week, and the possibility of more rain on the way. As rain arrives, instead of flowing through the channels of the river, it stops short at the layers of buildup and ends up ponding throughout Petersburg's downtown.
Parham, alongside city manager March Altman, said they have been in conversations with Gov. Glenn Youngkin about resources that can be allocated towards a full, or even partial, dredge of the river.
"The biggest issue has been that this is something that can't be accomplished on the backs of the Petersburg tax payer," Parham said.
The most recent cost estimate for dredging the river and removing contaminated materials was $15 million back in 2014. Mayor Parham said he expects that amount would only be larger now, 11 years later.
Although the city has spent several years asking for the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the dredging, officials said they are hopeful the severity of the recent flooding events can prompt state and federal partners to set aside funds for the cleanup to be completed.
"That's why we need a huge push to get them really reengaged on this. And, hopefully, by having the governor's support and seeing what has happened recently ... the Corps will make this a priority because the dollars for the Appomattox have always been swallowed by other larger dredges between the James and Hampton Roads. They've always been a priority," Parham said.
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For now, Altman said the city is focusing on smaller infrastructure projects with support and funding from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
One of these projects -- with help in the form of $4 million in grants from DCR -- is silt removal from areas near Brickhouse Run and Lieutenant Run, which are two major creeks that travel through the city and into the river.
Additionally, the city has a storm drainage plan that they hope to present to the city council in the near future, to lay out broader objectives in aiding flood cleanup, as additional funding becomes available.
Both Parham and Altman emphasized that although they are putting time and energy into smaller projects, they need help from state and federal partners to complete at least a partial dredge, potentially six feet, of the Appomattox.
"We're 30 years late," Parham said when asked about short-term solutions while waiting for funding to be secured.
Before the 2014 estimate, $1.4 million in funding was secured in 2007, and $527,000 was secured in 2009 -- with both allocated towards dredging the Appomattox. When asked what happened to that money, the Mayor said he does not know because he was not in office at that time, and the vice mayor echoed similar sentiments.
Altman said it is likely the money was used to plan for the dredging, but he believes not all of it was spent.
While a timeline going forward is unclear, Altman said that the state of emergency for Petersburg may last through August, depending on how the rest of the storm season develops.
