Flood Department will close Ironton entrance

On Thursday, access to Woodland Cemetery will be limited.

As part of a requirement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (R.I.P), the Ironton Flood Department will be doing a mock gate closure from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. To ensure access, the cemetery entrance in Coal Grove will be opened.

Last week, the flood department did a mock gate closure at the Center Street floodwall entrance to the Ironton Boat Dock and several other locations in town as part of the R.I.P. requirement.

Mike Pemberton, the Flood Department superintendent, said that the city is required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put up the gates every three years to make sure all the parts of the floodgates are available and in good working order. If there is no threat of flooding, the gates are taken back down and put into storage.

The R.I.P. program specifically defines the types of projects that can be eligible for assistance, and specifies the ongoing for operation and maintenance requirements for the flood control systems that qualify.

By doing the required mock gate closure, the city qualifies for the R.I.P. program. That way, if there is damage to the city’s flood defense system during a flood, the city can apply to receive federal assistance to repair it.