Sunk farmers may finally get relief for lands flooded in $3B dam renovation
Hundreds of family farms in the Ohio River Valley have been flooded since the 2018 completion of the Olmsted Locks and Dam, rendering farmland unusable. Farmers have sought financial relief through lawsuits, which were contested by the Department of Justice under President Biden. An executive order under consideration by President Trump's administration may end the contestation and provide aid to affected farmers.
- ▪The $3 billion Olmsted Locks and Dam project, completed in 2018, caused flooding of 70,000 acres of farmland in Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri.
- ▪Approximately 450 farmers filed lawsuits in 2018 and 2021 seeking compensation for crop and land losses.
- ▪The US Army Corps of Engineers declined to comment on the lawsuits or alleged miscalculations in the dam's construction.
- ▪A potential payout for affected farmers could exceed $1 billion from the Treasury Department’s Judgment Fund.
- ▪The dam renovation, begun in 1988, took 20 years longer than planned and finished $2 billion over budget.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News Sunk farmers may finally get relief for lands flooded in $3B dam renovation By Shane Galvin Published May 2, 2026, 8:30 a.m. ET At least 450 family farms in the Ohio River Valley that are under water after a dam renovation caused mass flooding may finally be getting a life preserver, The Post has learned. The $3 billion renovation of the Olmsted Locks and Dam on the Ohio River was completed in 2018 by the US Army Corps of Engineers, but an unintended consequence was the flooding of 70,000 acres of soybean farmland in Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri — turning some multi-generational farms into lakes. 3 A jarring image shows a farm in near Cairo, Illinois, turned into an island due to the millions of gallons of water diverted by the Olmstead Lock and Dam.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at US News – Latest Breaking Headlines, Photos & Videos | New York Post.
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