Corps, officials mark end of Porter County stormwater management infrastructure improvement project

USACE Chicago District
Published Oct. 18, 2021
Corps, officials mark end of Porter County stormwater management infrastructure improvement project

Corps, officials mark end of Porter County stormwater management infrastructure improvement project. Pictured from left: Chief of Staff Mark Lopez,Principal Phil Misecko, South Haven Elementary School; and Commander Col. Paul Culberson, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District.

Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chicago District, Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (IN-1), and Porter County officials marked the end of a stormwater management infrastructure improvement project.

“I appreciate the partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Porter County to invest in this much needed stormwater infrastructure project in South Haven,” Rep. Frank J. Mrvan said. “The Squirrel Creek Diversion Improvement Project, in conjunction with the additional phases of the County’s Old South Haven Storm Water Improvements Project completed to date, reduces flooding and drainage issues, improving the quality of life for residents.”

The project included expanding capacity of sewer lines between Squirrel Creek and the retention basin west of South Haven Elementary School. This project also involved 800 linear feet of improvements to the roadside ditch, and 1200 feet of 54-inch relief sewer between the end of the ditch to the school’s basin, and abandonment in place of an existing 36-inch storm sewer.  This project is part of the Calumet Region Environmental Infrastructure 219 project and was allocated $1,500,000 of federal funding. The nonfederal sponsor is Porter County, Indiana. The county provided the 25% cash match of $491,666.

“We have enjoyed celebrating the completion of this much needed flood reduction and drainage improvement project with our project partners and members of the community,” Porter County Council President Jeremy Rivas said. “This project marks yet another milestone in the County’s efforts to reconstruct and rehabilitate the storm water infrastructure serving South Haven.”

In September 2019 a contract was awarded to Gough Inc. of Valparaiso, Indiana, for $1,164,409.93. Field construction was completed in November 2020.

The project is authorized under Section 219(f)(12) of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992, Public Law 102-580, as amended, Section 502 of WRDA 1999, and by Section 108 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2001. Section 219, as amended, allows the Army Corps of Engineers to provide planning, design, and construction assistance for carrying out water-related environmental infrastructure projects in select areas. The project under this authority are cost shared 75% federal and 25% nonfederal sponsor.

“Infrastructure improvement projects are the result of partnerships among federal, regional, and local agencies,” USACE Chicago District Commander Col. Paul Culberson said. “Porter County has been a great partner throughout. It is great to complete projects like this in your community that help improve the quality of life for residents.”

The construction contract was awarded to De Boer Egolf Corporation of Portage, Indiana, in September 2020 for $1,268,687. Field construction began May 2021 and was completed in August 2021.


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Vanessa Villarreal

Release no. 21-033