Simpson Secures Funds for Little Wood River Project After 20 Years of Effort

Washington, D.C. – Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson today highlighted major progress on the long-delayed Little Wood River project in Gooding, Idaho through his efforts secured in the FY23 Omnibus package and the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 that were signed into law on December 29, 2022, and December 23, 2022, respectively.

The project was included in the Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill at Congressman Simpson’s request through Community Project Funding (CPF), and through WRDA Congressman Simpson included options to help the city finance their portion of the non-federal share of the project.

“The Gooding Wall is a great example of how CPFs benefit Idaho.  This project, needed to repair dilapidated sections of the Gooding Canal that put the community at higher risk of flooding, was authorized with language I included in a 2007 bill.  But without the opportunity to request the funding needed to carry out the construction, this flood control project, so critical to an Idaho community, languished on the shelf for decades.  Congressional action was needed to finally get it underway, and I was able to use the CPF program to direct funding to get it started again,” said Simpson.

The project will receive $2.3 million to begin replacement of the walls of the channel that flows through the city of Gooding, Idaho, which was constructed in the 1930s.  Many sections of the wall have failed, leading to an increase in localized flood risk and threat to adjacent public infrastructure and private property.  It is also leading to long-term undermining of the public roads along its corridor from subsurface erosion.  The City of Gooding has been seeking funds for this project for nearly twenty years. 

“The City of Gooding has been waiting a long time for this project to be completed, with the threat of major flooding looming every year,” said Simpson.  “This is something I’ve been working on since I came to Congress two decades ago, and, after several starts and stops, I am greatly encouraged that we are finally seeing momentum on this important flood control project.”

“The city of Gooding is extremely grateful for the effort put forth by Congressman Mike Simpson to secure funding for the replacement of the failing ‘River Wall’ that goes through our community.  This project has been repeatedly delayed for over twenty years due to underbudgeting — but Congressman Simpson offered intelligent solutions in the House bill that was signed by the president that will allow the project to finally be successful!  In addition, several other conditions of the bill allow us to bring down the 10 percent cost share by participating in the work and making the remaining payments more manageable by repaying over 30 years.  Congressman Mike Simpson has been in our corner and looking out for us, thank you Congressman Simpson!” -Larry Bybee, City of Gooding Public Works Director

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