While one door to address potential “devastation” in the Bottoms appears to be closing, another may be opening.

Monroe County Emergency Management Agency Director Kevin Scheibe on Monday updated county commissioners on a scour hole in a section of levee near Fults which, if left unchecked, could flood 45,000 acres in southern Monroe County and wreak havoc in Prairie du Rocher and the Fort de Chartres State Historic Site.

On Sept. 2, Scheibe reported U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) was able to move a grant application from limbo at the state level to the offices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

On Monday, Scheibe explained Bost’s efforts were for naught as funding for FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program has been frozen since April when the acting FEMA administrator announced the $750 million meant for BRIC grants would not be allocated.

The BRIC program directs federal funds to the state level for use in projects aimed to reduce the impact of weather-related events, including floods, by supporting proactive disaster mitigation projects. 

In July, Illinois joined 19 other states in a lawsuit alleging the Trump Administration’s cancelation of the BRIC program  was illegal.

Last month, a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to block re-allocation of the BRIC funds.

Due to the lawsuit, Scheibe said he is “looking at December” as the earliest FEMA could potentially be able to review BRIC grant proposals.

He later mentioned the “FEMA Act of 2025” which Bost said has been under consideration for about six months, although the details of the act are not yet publicly available. Scheibe said he is receiving “continuous updates” about the proposed bill. 

The act, if passed, would eliminate some of the red tape in the grant funding process by keeping grant proposals within the state, saving time by eliminating federal review.

Unfortunately, time is not a luxury available to those who seek to keep the levee from failing, as Scheibe predicted in August that the scour hole – first discovered in 2010 – would cause a failure within 18 months.

The scour hole is within the jurisdiction of the Stringtown Levee and Drainage District, which has an annual budget of about $25,000 which is used primarily for maintenance and paying to power water pumps.

Scheibe said the cost to repair the levee is about $3.5 million, adding that cost would not include repairs to county roads which would be necessary due to the estimated 3,500 semi-truck loads needed to bring fill and repair materials. 

He did have a few hopeful leads to share with commissioners Monday, including a possible loophole in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers policy of being a “reactive” agency.

During a town hall meeting last Tuesday hosted by Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) and State Sen. Terry Bryant (R-Murphysboro) in Prairie du Rocher, a Corps representative explained the organization can only act “when something touches the levee.”

Scheibe then pointed out that water in the scour hole and nearby sand boils is “cloudy and full of sand,” indicating the river is “eating the levee” – meaning the Corps could technically get involved.

Scheibe also said one Corps colonel in attendance at the town hall said the situation has gained interest, although he was unable to disclose further information in a public setting.

Private organizations and individuals have also expressed some interest in supporting levee repair efforts.

Scheibe said the French Heritage Society Chicago-Midwest Chapter may be interested in helping due to the possible impact to Fort de Chartres and Prairie du Rocher as both are significant aspects of French colonialism in America prior to the nation’s founding.

Scheibe said he will be speaking with a representative of the society next week.

During the town hall meeting, Scheibe said a number of local farmers asked what they could do to help fix the levee. 

Some proposed working independently to possibly fill the scour hole with sand and other materials, which Scheibe explained would  neither be allowed nor fix the situation.   

“There’s a procedure to this,” Scheibe said, clarifying any repair would be under the supervision and follow the guidelines of the Corps.

“You can’t just throw dirt in it,” Monroe County Board Chairman George Green commented.