THE HIGH
WATER MARK
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 2022 - Volume 32, Issue 2
THE HIGH
WATER MARK The Newsletter of the Floodplain Management Association May 2022 - Volume 32, Issue 2 Mission: To promote the common interest in reducing flood losses and to encourage the protection and enhancement of natural floodplain values.
Chair Mike Nowlan Wood Rodgers, Inc. 916.326.5277
Director Darren Suen Central Valley Flood Protection Board 916.574.0609
Advisor Jeremy Lancaster California Geological Survey 916.445.1825
Vice Chair Brent Siemer City of Simi Valley 805.583.6805
Director Millicent Cowley-Crawford Woodard & Curran 415.321.3421
Advisor Salomon Miranda California DWR 818.549.2347
Secretary Vince Geronimo Mead & Hunt 916.993.4606
Director Kyle Gallup Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District 951.955.1265
Advisor Cindy Matthews NOAA 916.979.3041
Treasurer Connie Perkins-Gutowsky California DWR 916.973.3008 Past Chair Alex Yescas HDR, Inc. 858-712-8283
Director Pat Wood Los Angeles County DPW 626.458-6131 Director Roger Leventhal Marin County DPW 415.473.3249
Advisor Eric Simmons FEMA Region IX 510.627.7029 Advisor Erin Warnock Nevada DWR 775.684.2890
Director Abigail Mayrena Clark County RFCD 702-685-0000
Director Megan LeRoy California DWR
Advisor Jeanne Ruefer HWC, Inc. 775.722.7395
Director John Moynier Parsons Corporation
Director David Smith WEST Consultants, Inc. 858.487.9378
Advisor Carol Tyau-Beam Hawaii DLNR 808.587.0267
Advisor Kelly Soule California DWR 916.574.1205
Executive Director Mary Seits FMA 760.936.3676
Director Ann Bechtel CDM Smith 760.710.4663 Director Brian Brown California DWR
FMA NEWS
Advisor Jose Lara CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services 916.845.8883
CONTENT
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A Note From The Chair Federal/National News State News Meet The Board - David S. Smith Call For Articles At the Confluence of Emerging and Professional California Collaborative Technical Assistance: San Diego County Cohort NOAA Update Jim Schaaf Memorial
Kleinfelder is a proud sponsor of FMA Kleinfelder’s decades of experience and comprehensive knowledge of the significant risks our communities face allows us to effectively partner with local, state, and federal agencies to reduce the probability of catastrophic flooding.
Natomas Levee
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We provide a full range of services on dams and levee projects that include environmental and geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing.
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Geotechnical Water Resources Civil Design Environmental Construction Management Information Management Grant Writing Southport Levee Improvement Project
visit us at: www.kleinfelder.com San Vicente Dam
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916.631.4500
FMA NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR Michael Nowlan I promised in the previous newsletter that I would provide an overview of the outcomes and decisions from our FMA Board retreat, which was held in early April. We actually held our retreat in person, in Sacramento! The main topics included; 1) board expansion/definition, 2) diversity/equity/inclusion position, 3) growth of emerging professionals, 4) luncheons, 5) operating budget, 6) learning management system considerations, 7) conference structure/costs, and 8) strategic plan updates. So, what is FMA doing? That can be a loaded question. FMA’s primary reason for existing has been to provide a platform/forum for individuals to share information and ideas related to floodplain management, no matter who they represent. As George Booth has so often put it, we are all about associating, allowing people from all sectors to have a voice. To foster the associating aspect of our association, FMA has avoided advocating any official special interest positions as an association. As an association we have purposely chosen not to lobby, for legislation, policy, or projects. So, how are we working toward associating better? First, we are looking to better define the minimum qualifications, roles and duties of each of the board positions, including advisors to the board, to clarify expectations and promote involvement on the board in the future. Our vice-chair will be leading that effort, and gathering input accordingly, in order to eventually/potentially modify our bylaws and “job descriptions”. Our hope is to promote involvement and remove any real/perceived stumbling blocks. As one might guess, several of these topics are ongoing “living” issues that will require much more thought and definition than a portion of a one-day retreat can address. For two of these topics we have now formed board subcommittees to explore the details and nuances of each issue. We cannot avoid diversity/equity/inclusion, or unhoused populations, or whatever the current/next big identified injustice is, because our FMA community is part of a much larger community. However, while social issues will always be important to our mission, we cannot lose sight that our association is founded on floodplain management, and understanding and communicating
FMA NEWS
primarily about that, while listening and incorporating overlapping issues. The board believes it is important to think deeply on issues relating to diversity/equity/ inclusion, and strategic planning, and will be making more informed decisions in the months to come. To optimize efforts moving forward, we need to communicate, honestly and openly, and never be afraid of any question. As we come out the other side of this pandemic, we must again interface floodplain management issues with societal issues. Honestly, this interfacing never went away during the pandemic, did it? Who better to join the fray on these issues than our emerging professionals. We need to mentor our EP’s better, to encourage them to join where they feel led, and to contribute their best, without overwhelming them. In order to do that better we need to create openings to serve, on our committees, and everywhere that supports the mission. There will be a big push for that in September at the conference and we will need everyone’s contribution. Our work on the strategic plan should also help in that regard. Our luncheons are back! We held our first in-person luncheon in Sacramento at the Buca Di Beppo restaurant with a great presentation on Risk Rating 2.0. People really missed associating, as the session went a little bit longer than planned. We have lined up two more luncheons in May and June and are working hard to fill the docket for 2022. We are also trying to jumpstart the luncheons at other locations throughout our region. It may take a little longer, but we’ll get there!
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It is my pleasure to report that our FMA operating budget has been very healthy moving into 2022, primarily due to our pandemic years giving us a bit of a reserve in funds. We were riding a very uncertain wave through COVID and had never run a successful virtual conference prior to that. Thanks to all of you supporting us, we have weathered this one fairly well. Of course, we have some uncertainty moving forward with in-person conferencing returning in September. We will steward the support you’ve entrusted to us and are looking into options for adding things that will enhance the mission, including opportunities for various scholarships to strengthen and build the broader floodplain management community. One of these opportunities may involve investment in software that enables us to store and share presentations and training, like a Learning Management System (LMS). There is a wide array of options, most of which have a significant cost. Details will be shared as they come to fruition. Last, but not least, the Board discussed our conference structure and related costs. For 2022 and likely 2023, we will be holding a live in-person only conference. There has been a lot of inquiry regarding hybrid options and we have been working to identify all the benefits and costs associated with this. We are stating our current position in more detail for the coming year on the conference registration page. If you have an interest in contributing to the conversation, by all means, speak with any one of us on the Board. Our priority is to provide the most meaningful and affordable conference experience to our membership.
SAVE THE DATE California Extreme Precipitation Symposium (CEPSYM) June 21, 2022 Lake Natoma Inn, Folsom CA Floodplain Management Association Annual Conference September 6-9, 2022 Sacramento Hyatt Regency
FMA NEWS
FEDERAL/NATIONAL NEWS For an update of the latest disaster declarations: CLICK HERE For information on Flood Insurance Reform – Rates and Refunds: CLICK HERE
Advisor Update FEMA Updates for FMA Board: APRIL 2022 •
FEMA’s Mitigation Assistance 2021 Year in Review is available. The report provides an overview of activities, accomplishments, and success stories. In fiscal year 2021 more than $2.35 billion was delivered to states, communities, and tribes reducing disaster risk.
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FEMA is coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to develop a Conservation Action Program for the National Flood Insurance Program. This includes new Community Rating System activities for communities to earn credits for their conservation efforts. More information on program components is online.
FMA NEWS
•
Congress extended the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30, 2022, with the fiscal year 2022 budget. Flood insurance renewals started transitioning updated rates on April 1, 2022. Detailed information on Risk Rating 2.0 now includes a document on levee data used in the rating process. New premiums better account for flood risk including home value, with more expensive buildings costing more to insure. Neither the mandatory purchase requirement nor floodplain management aspects are impacted by insurance rating changes.
STATE NEWS
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California Survey Finds Little Snow as Statewide Snowpack Drops to 38 Percent Following Record Dry Months (April 1, 2022) DWR conducted the fourth snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. Following three straight months of record dry conditions, the manual survey recorded just 2.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of one inch, which is four percent of average for this location for April 1. April 1 is typically when the snowpack is at its highest, however the statewide snowpack likely peaked in early-March this year and the Northern Sierra snowpack peaked in mid-January. Dry conditions are impacting every region of the state, as the Northern, Central, and Southern Sierra snowpacks are all standing just above 28 percent to 43 percent of average for this date. https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/ April-22/April-2022-Snow-Survey Historically Dry Conditions Impact Planned State Water Project Deliveries On March 18, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced it must reduce the State Water Project allocation to 5 percent of requested supplies for 2022. DWR previously set the allocation at 15 percent but a historically dry January and February, with no significant storms forecast for March, requires a reduction in the allocation to conserve available water supply. In addition to the 5 percent allocation, DWR will also provide any unmet critical health and safety needs of the 29 water agencies that contract to receive State Water Project supplies. https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/ March-22/SWP-Allocation-March
Early Winter Storms Provide Much-Needed Sierra Snowpack On December 30, 2021, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) conducted the first snow survey of the season at Phillips Station. Early winter storms this month provided a strong start to the season and some drought relief, but California remains in a drought. Today’s manual survey recorded 78.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 20 inches, which is 202 percent of average for this location on this date. The snow water equivalent measures the amount of water contained in the snowpack and is a key component of DWR’s water supply forecast. Statewide the snowpack is 160 percent of average for this date. https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2021/ Dec-21/DWR-12-30-21-Snow-Survey
State Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Biweekly meetings on Tuesday afternoons are being facilitated by Cal OES and DWR, focusing on the flood element. Anyone who is an active participant in FMA is welcome to join in the process. A draft of the SHMP will be completed by the end of June 2022. The SHMP is to be used by all state and local efforts in identifying future hazards and mitigation actions, as well as driving local general plan updates. Questions: Contact Remy Gill, CoLead, at Remy.Gill@water.ca.gov or Cal OES at SHMP@ caloes.ca.gov. https://www.caloes.ca.gov/cal-oes-divisions/hazardmitigation/hazard-mitigation-planning
DWR Releases Funds for Repairs of the Friant-Kern Canal With California now in its third year of drought, collaboration among state, federal and local partners is critical to improving the resiliency of California’s water system. Today, the California Department of Water Resources announced it has released $29.8 million in funding to the Friant Water Authority (FWA) to repair segments of the Friant-Kern Canal, a key water conveyance facility in the San Joaquin Valley damaged by land subsidence.
FMA NEWS
STATE NEWS “Through this investment, we are furthering a partnership to restore California’s major water conveyance systems to improve the resiliency of California’s water supply during drought and flood conditions,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “The projects, when completed, will maximize the canal’s capacity to move water efficiently through the system and improve California’s ability to boost and store its water supply.” https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/ March-22/Repairs-Friant-Kern-Canal
Floodplain Management, Protection, and Risk Awareness Grant Program The Floodplain Management, Protection and Risk Awareness (FMPRA) Grant Program supports local agency efforts to prepare for flooding by providing financial assistance for flood risk reduction activities related to stormwater flooding, mudslides, and flash floods. On February 9, 2022, DWR received 35 full proposals requesting approximately $96 million in State funding. These included 12 planning and monitoring proposals with a total State cost-share request of approximately $15 million and 23 implementation proposals with a total State cost-share request of approximately $81 million. The Program has approximately $5 million for planning and monitoring projects and $45 million available for implementation projects. The proposals are being reviewed and the draft funding award recommendations will be released in summer 2022.
https://water.ca.gov/News/NewsReleases/2022/Feb-22/DWR-Funds-TurlockIrrigation-District-to-Install-Solar-Panels-Over-Canals
Resources California Drought Action The California Drought Action website provides a repository of news stories, state drought programs, and water conservation information. Each week, an update is posted about drought conditions, news, upcoming events, and key data sources. https://drought.ca.gov/
California Water Watch Website The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has launched a new website, California Water Watch, that helps Californians easily access information on current local and statewide water conditions - down to their own region and even neighborhood. The website brings together data from DWR and other sources to provide dynamic realtime information on precipitation, temperature, reservoirs, snowpack, groundwater, streamflow, soil moisture, and vegetation conditions. Users can enter an address to see local conditions, including daily precipitation and temperature statistics, for their area and links to water supplier information. The website also allows users to compare data on local conditions by year and by region.
Register HERE
https://cww.water.ca.gov/
Innovative Solar Project Awarded State Funds: DWR Funds Turlock Irrigation District to Install Solar Panels Over Canals
Training
On February 8, the California Department of Water Resources announced the award of $20 million in funding for an innovative pilot project to install solar energy generation over water supply canals in California.
Hosted by California Department of Water Resources and Nevada Division of Water Resources.
This funding, allocated by Governor Newsom and the State Legislature through the 2021-22 state budget, will be used by the Turlock Irrigation District (TID) to construct a solar energy generation project over the district’s water canals.
FMA NEWS
Floodplain Management and Duties of a Local Floodplain Administrator Workshop
Intended Audience: Floodplain administrators, private consultants, surveyors, government officials, building, planning, and public works staff from communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. Register HERE Tuesday, April 12, 2022 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
City of Roseville, 2005 Hilltop Circle Roseville, CA 95747
STATE NEWS
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FEMA Elevation Certificate
Upcoming Events
Hosted by California Department of Water Resources and Nevada Division of Water Resources.
2022 Watershed University Summit: April 26-27 (9:00 am-11:30 am both days)
Intended Audience: Floodplain administrators, private consultants, surveyors, government officials, building, planning, and public works staff from communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program. Register HERE
Join other professionals in floodplain management, water management, emergency management and related fields to learn about innovative projects and technology, as well as new approaches to projects. Virtually connect with peers from local, state, and federal agencies on these issues and build relationships for the future. Topics include: • Floodplain Management in the 21st Century • The Unified National Program for Floodplain Management • Nature-Based Flood Management Solutions: Engineering with Nature • The National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System • Nonstructural and Resilience-Based Approaches to Flood Management
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
City of Roseville, 2005 Hilltop Circle Roseville, CA 95747
Floodplain Management Review Course Hosted by California Department of Water Resources and Nevada Division of Water Resources. This one-day workshop is designed as a review course of basic floodplain management principles for those who are considering taking the examination to become Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM®). This full-day review is not a replacement for studying for the exam. Attendees should not expect to complete this workshop and pass the CFM® exam without additional study. Suggested additional materials to study, for those intending to become a CFM®, can be found on the Association for State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) website. Attendance at this course is not a guarantee of passing the CFM® exam. Additional training is provided by FEMA through the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). Register HERE Thursday, April 14, 2022 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
City of Roseville, 2005 Hilltop Circle Roseville, CA 95747
Certified Floodplain Manger Exam Hosted by the California Department of Water Resources and Nevada Division of Water Resources. You will need to first register through Eventbrite and then you will be sent the link to register for the CFM exam through ASFPM. The ASFPM registration requires downloading and returning a completed application package with the required payment. Register HERE Friday, April 15, 2022 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM PDT
Register HERE
Flood Safety Stakeholder Technical Workshop Sponsored by the Oroville Dam Citizens Advisory Commission, this workshop will allow the California Resources Agency, Department of Water Resources, and other government officials to hear directly from and speak directly to stakeholders about their goals, interests and concerns related to flood safety and downstream communities. Planned topics include extreme precipitation, managing large floods, role of Oroville Dam in floodplain management, mapping, and evacuation planning. The workshop will be held virtually from 9:00 am-12:00 pm on Friday, April 22. Contact Nikki Blomquist, DWR, at (916) 820-7749 or Nick Saffold, Event Facilitator (415) 697-0577 for more information about the event. Meeting information
City of Roseville, 2005 Hilltop Circle Roseville, CA 95747
FMA NEWS
STATE NEWS Hawaii See the latest news stories relating to Hawaii’s floodplain management issues. For the transformed flood information platform from Hawaii visit their exciting weekly blog at https://waihalana.hawaii.gov/ Some of the latest postings relate to hurricane preparedness, stewarding our environment, and Flood Insurance. For archived Wai Halana Newsletters (prior to 2018) https://dlnreng.hawaii.gov/nfip/wai-halana/
Nevada The Nevada Floodplain Management Program has been out and about in the community doing outreach. We attended the Fernley STEM Festival which had a large turn out and an interested audience. This was one of our most successful events since before 2020. Our Flood Fighter Nevada educational computer game with its newly created paired educational curriculum has been making has been making its debut in some Northern Nevada classrooms. A goal of ours this year is to work with teachers and to provide training on our flood awareness educational resources. A new round of Silver Jackets projects is just kicking off! These projects include a virtual forum that will take place during Nevada’s Flood Awareness Week in November that will include relevant flood awareness topic discussion and education, along with a teacher training portion. We will also be working with Silver Jackets to prepare some Floodplain Management Plans for a few watersheds that contain dams that are eligible to apply for the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) grant program.
FMA NEWS
Nevada Floodplain Management collaborated with California Division of Water Resources to bring trainings to local floodplain managers in April. We had a great turnout and topics included Floodplain Management, NFIP, Elevation Certificates and CFM prep. We were able to offer the last in person CFM exam before ASFPM transitions to offering it virtually. Nevada Floodplain Management is performing more Community Assistance Contacts than ever before. Our goal is to get our communities on a 5-year cycle for Community Assistance Contacts/ Community Assistance Visits. This requires Nevada’s State Coordinator to complete about 7 a year, which is a big lift. As funding is likely to increase for our program in the next couple of years, we are starting to look toward expanding our staff so that we can better manage the needs of Floodplain Management for Nevada.
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Leading with Science® Tetra Tech is pleased to be ranked #1 in Water by Engineering News-Record for 16 years in a row. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in every sector and to use that expertise throughout the project life cycle. Our commitment to safety is ingrained in our culture and at the forefront of every project.
FMA NEWS
MEET THE BOARD - David S. Smith, P.E., D.WRE, CFM Vice President, WEST Consultants, Inc. Dave is a recent addition to the Board of Directors representing the private sector for the southern region. He is a licensed professional civil engineer in California and Hawaii, a Diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, and a Certified Floodplain Manager with 27 years of engineering experience. Dave is a vice president of WEST Consultants, Inc., managing the San Diego office. He specializes in H&H studies (hydrology/ hydraulics), one- and two-dimensional and unsteady flow hydraulic modeling, hydrologic modeling, FEMA floodplain mapping and letters of map change, sediment transport modeling, and bridge scour evaluations including scour countermeasure selection and sizing. Dave also has experience with other related topics such as dam breach modeling, levee certification, flood forecasting, sediment yield analysis, alluvial fan evaluations, and others. Current projects at WEST Consultants, Inc. include bridge scour evaluations for over 200 bridges for the Hawaii Department of Transportation, hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and calibration for 14 creeks/rivers in Petaluma, CA, and evaluating scour countermeasures for the Colorado River Aqueduct in the Coachella Valley vicinity. Dave is particularly interested in aspects of floodplain management that he has encountered frequently in project work: alluvial fans, 1D and 2D floodplain analysis and mapping, erosion and scour evaluations. His specialty and passion is finding practical solutions to complex engineering problems. He has been attending and presenting at FMA conferences for most of his 27 years in engineering and is excited to be serving on the Board of Directors. FMA NEWS
CALL FOR ARTICLES!
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The FMA Newsletter welcomes the input of its members and now our extended family of readership to contribute to the conversation! Keep the great articles coming! We need to hear from all of you. There’s always room for more to join the ranks of published authors. Showcase your programs, projects, tools, policies, regulations or ideas to hundreds of floodplain management professionals throughout the U.S.! Articles must be submitted in Word format to Mary.Seits@Floodplain.org and may contain 2-3 small pictures. Preferred length is less than 850 words.
For more details call (760) 936-3676.
THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS. AND THERE IS A NEW WAY TO DO THINGS.
AND SOMETIMES THEY’RE EXACTLY THE
SAME THING.
FMA NEWS WWW.WOODRODGERS.COM
AT THE CONFLUENCE OF EMERGING AND PROFESSIONAL
RETAINING THE TALENT YOU CULTIVATE Morgan O’Brien As we begin the return-to-the-office shuffle, we start to (once again) readjust how we balance it all; from commuting to packing lunches, to figuring out the careful balance of family time, exercising, and eating healthily. With the major change in how we work, paired with a lot more of the next generation in the workplace… it begs the question: What does the next generation of employees want? Whether that refers to literally the newly minted degreed engineers, scientists, and communicators coming into our industry, or folks who have been in the industry for a while who got the savory taste of something new in the mass shake-up of the pandemic; we can all see ourselves as this ‘next generation’ of the workforce. There are many ways of assessing employee satisfaction, and it may well be worth doing, with record numbers of employees changing jobs for different opportunities. A Visier study found that the rate of turnover has skyrocketed over the last year, where they remark that “In 2020, people wanted to quit. In 2021, they actually did it.”1 For more information and graphics with the stats, see footnote 1 . New tactics of understanding employee’s preferences, including “stay-interviews”, new retention benefits, investments in employee growth and satisfaction, and more flexible work environments, are growing more common in the workplace. Additionally, polls and articles have flooded news cycles recently about what the younger folks in the workforce want. And it varies, but not as widely as we may expect. Based on a recent Gallup poll, “Gen Z and Millennials now make up nearly half (46%) of the full-time workforce in the U.S.” 2– so it very well may pay to invest some time and money into understanding what this means to employees in your workplace.
1 2
FMA NEWS
The top four things that the Gallup article2 mentions as desires for Millennials and Gen Z are: 1. Above all, Gen Z and millennials want an employer who cares about their wellbeing. 2. Gen Z and millennials want their leaders to be ethical. 3. Older millennials want open, transparent leaders. 4. Gen Z and younger millennials want leaders who support a diverse and inclusive workplace. Of important note, there are a number of employees now, who started work during shelter-in-place time, and have never known what it’s like to work in an office. Recent grads (even new employees, regardless of career length) have less in-person time with coworkers and potential mentors, which means new ways of coaching and connecting need to be explored. This is a great opportunity to get creative – by asking your coworkers what they want! This could be done through a brainstorming session, or asking others in the industry what they’re doing. From randomly assigned small-group company-paid lunches, weekend hikes, picnics in a local park, to creek cleanups; there are many ways of connecting in this environment that can be fun and fulfilling, while also creating the bonds we enjoyed in the workplace.
Four Things We Learned About the Resignation Wave-and What to Do Next, 2021; Visier. 4 Things Gen Z and Millennials Expect From Their Workplace, March 30, 2021; Gallup.
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FMA NEWS
CALIFORNIA COLLABORATIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SAN DIEGO COUNTY COHORT In 2019, FEMA and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) launched the Collaborative Technical Assistance (CTA) Program with San Diego County California. CTA is designed to help communities at risk of dam-related flooding better understand their risk landscape and the potential consequences of dam-related emergencies. The CTA included planning for emergencies related to operational discharges or dam-related infrastructure failure. Members from the FEMA National Dam Safety Program, and National Integration Center’s Technical Assistance Program worked with the CalOES and California Department of Water Resources to meet the county’s goal of increasing state, county, community, and individual preparedness in participating jurisdictions for responding to dam emergencies. The CTA assisted San Diego County and participating jurisdictions in leveraging and building upon CalOES’ previous and ongoing dam and levee safety initiatives. The San Diego County CTA offering provided: •
•
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A structured approach to developing or refining dam emergency action plans (EAPs) to increase community preparedness for a dam emergency and integrating the EAPs into appropriate emergency planning documents; Access to National level subject matter experts that provided guidance and offered feedback on dam risk management, emergency planning, community analysis, dam inundation modeling, infrastructure dependencies and interdependencies, hazard mitigation, floodplain management, risk and crisis communication, and exercise planning; Peer-to-peer learning opportunities from fellow dam owners and emergency managers that had experience performing inundation modeling, dealing with an actual dam emergency, communicating during an emergency, and dam-related planning other issues.
From November 2019 to May 2021, nine sessions were hosted for over 250 participants. In addition, four office hours were conducted which allowed
FMA NEWS
participants from San Diego County to meet with subject matter experts to go over topics discussed throughout a session. The San Diego County CTA included individuals from multiple organizations including federal, regional, state, and local agencies and jurisdictions, along with one non-governmental partner. This cohort was originally scheduled to be a combination of in-person delivery and virtual sessions, however, due to COVID-19, the delivery of the CTA changed to be fully virtual. Session topics included: •
Session 1 – Framing the Issues: Community Analysis and Infrastructure Dependencies
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Session 2 – Modeling and Simulation using Decision Support System for Water Infrastructure Security (DSS-WISETM) Lite
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Session 3 – Community Resilience & Dam Risk
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Session 4 – Information and Planning Gaps for Emergency Response and Emergency Action Planning
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Session 5 – Risk and Crisis Communication Strategies for Dam Emergencies: Virtual Workshop & Tabletop Exercise
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Session 6 – Evacuation and Shelter-in-Place Planning for Dam Emergencies
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Session 7 – Planning and Implementing an Exercise for a Dam Incident or Emergency
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Session 8 – San Diego County Dam Safety Tabletop Exercise
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Session 9 – CTA Closeout and Evaluation
Sessions were interactive and encouraged participation and collaboration between attendees to help them build relationships with one another. Attendees were provided access to subject matter experts, models, tools, and templates that allowed them to enhance their knowledge of dam safety and dam incident operations. Each session was designed to touch on at least one of San Diego County’s objectives that were decided on during the initial Kick-Off meeting. The objectives of the San Diego County CTA were for the cohort to: •
Form an active dam emergency planning working group, which includes core stakeholders for this CTA.
17 o
Maintain working group after completion of the CTA, potentially through Water Agency Emergency Collaborative (WAEC).
o
Annually assess the benefits and needs of the working group.
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Achieve a detailed understanding of direct and cascading impacts (to the community, critical infrastructure, and key resources) due to a dam emergency through the CTA analytic framework that will inform planning, response, and recovery activities.
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Develop a joint strategy for stakeholder identification, engagement, and risk communications for dam emergencies to be captured in the appropriate emergency planning documents.
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Complete revised, risk-informed emergency action plans (EAPs) for the dam owners and operators. Integrate these plans into the appropriate emergency planning documents for each stakeholder.
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Conduct an exercise to evaluate and identify gaps in the written plans and further enhance relationships amongst stakeholders.
While challenges such as the onset of COVID-19 impacted the delivery of this CTA, it was still seen as a great success and met the county’s overall goal and objectives. This CTA provided stakeholders with access to better modeling tools such as DSS-Wise Lite and a clearer understanding of emergency action plans and emergency response plans. In addition, it gave them the opportunity to practice communicating with each other and the public in the event of a dam emergency as well as informed them of new practices such as shelter in place. At the end of the CTA, participants expressed their appreciation for the program, topics discussed that they felt could assist them in their jobs, and areas of the CTA they felt could be improved upon. For additional information on the CTA Program, please visit here. For more information on the FEMA National Dam Safety Program, please visit here.
FMA NEWS
NOAA UPDATE Alan Haynes, Hydrologist in Charge, California Nevada River Forecast Center Driest 3-YR Cumulative Runoff Expected for Lake Shasta Water Year 2022 started off promising with a couple of wet events in the early part of the water year, followed by three large Atmospheric River events in December. However, the weather turned dry in January and stayed dry until April; perhaps the driest Jan-Feb-Mar on record for the Sierra Nevada and Central Valley. Consequently, water-year runoff forecasts for the combined Central Valley River systems reached a peak in late December, around 12,300 kaf (full natural flow), but then dropped to 3,800 kaf by the end of March. Some wet weather in the first half of April over Northern CA helped bring forecast runoff up to 5,300 kaf, which is about 60% of the mean. However, this forecast runoff follows two consecutive dry years, making the expected 3-yr cumulative runoff about 48% of the mean. One of the hardest hit reservoirs in this latest dry period is the state’s largest reservoir, Lake Shasta, with a storage capacity of around 4.5 million acre-ft. The cumulative
3-yr runoff into Lake Shasta is expected to be the lowest on record, around 8700 kaf or about 50% of the mean (figure 1). The previous record low in the 3-yr runoff was 10,300 kaf, in the 1990-1992 period. The cumulative impacts of this low runoff can be seen in the current storage at Lake Shasta (figure 2), which is around 1800 kaf as of late April. This is near 50% of the historical average, or about 40% of capacity. Figure 1. Top ten lowest 3-yr runoff into Lake Shasta. The 3-yr period ending this water year is projected to be nearly a half million-acre ft lower than the previous lowest runoff in the 1990-1992 period. Note that nine of the top ten lowest runoff volumes have occurred since 1
Figure 2. Current storage information for Lake Shasta as of April 26th, 2022.
FMA NEWS
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Expanded Atmospheric Model Input Into HEFS The California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) runs its hydrologic model in two modes: 1) deterministic mode - single-value forecasts go out five days. 2) probabilistic mode - multiple instances of the hydrologic model are run, with the same initial conditions, but with varying meteorological inputs. These forecasts are produced using the Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast Service (HEFS) and they go out to a year. Until recently, weather forecasts were used in HEFS for the first two weeks, with climatology beyond that. Recently, the CNRFC determined that there is some skill in the atmospheric model in weeks 3-4. Thus, atmospheric model forecasts are now used out through week four in the CNRFC’s HEFS forecasts. Users shouldn’t expect to see much change, but the CNRFC is always trying to improve its products and services as opportunities arise. Staffing The California Nevada River Forecast Center hired a new meteorologist who started in the fall of 2021, Anna Schneider. Anna Schneider was previously a Meteorologist at the NWS San Francisco/Monterey Forecast Office since August 2016. Anna attended Penn State University for both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Meteorology. Currently, the CNRFC has two hydrologist vacancies that it is currently trying to fill. Ideally, these positions will be filled, and the new forecasters trained before the next wet season.
FMA NEWS
JIM SCHAAF MEMORIAL
JIM SCHAAF It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of the “founding fathers” of FMA, Jim Schaaf. Jim has been a huge presence and influencer within FMA for decades, while running a very successful consulting firm known as Schaaf & Wheeler. Tragically, Jim passed away last year, and it is still heartbreaking for his family and close friends, even now. As wounds begin to heal, FMA has been in contact with Dan Schaaf, Jim’s son, about finding a special way to honor him. Jim was always very intentional about mentoring young professionals in our field, and loved working with students. It is also very consistent with his passion to have helped form FMA as a means of sharing and mentoring others within the field, to continually be growing in our profession. We who are involved in FMA represent his legacy as well. While the loss of Jim to our community will be difficult to bear, there is a seed that his son would like to plant in his honor. That seed will involve establishing a memorial scholarship in Jim’s name for deserving college students within the State of California, funded by Jim’s legacy.
FMA NEWS
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There will be many logistical details that will need to be worked out before the first scholarship will be awarded, and FMA will help as much as we can collaboratively with Jim’s family to make it all happen. We must move on somehow, while we are all still here, and work together for the common good. It is what we humans all must do when we face tragedy, whether it is a natural disaster or the death of a loved one. This wonderful memorial scholarship should help to ease that pain, as we keep Jim’s legacy alive in rebuilding our community.
FMA NEWS
THE HIGH
WATER MARK The Newsletter of the Floodplain Management Association
