THE HIGH
WATER MARK
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION 2020 - Volume 30, Issue 1
THE HIGH
WATER MARK The Newsletter of the Floodplain Management Association February 2020 - Volume 30, Issue 1 Mission: To promote the common interest in reducing flood losses and to encourage the protection and enhancement of natural floodplain values.
Alex Yescas - Chair HDR Engineering, Inc. 858-712-8283
Darren Suen - Director Central Valley Flood Protection Board 916-574-0609
Jeremy Lancaster - Advisor California Geological Survey 916-445-1825
Mike Nowlan - Vice Chair Wood Rodgers, Inc. 916-326-5277
Millicent Cowley-Crawford - Director West Yost Associates 415-321-3421
Salomon Miranda - Advisor California DWR 818-549-2347
Connie Perkins - Gutkowsky - Secretary Central Valley Flood Protection Board 916-480-5386
Brian Walker - Director City of Roseville 916- 746-1349
Alan Haynes - Advisor NOAA 916-979-3056
Brent Siemer - Treasurer City of Simi Valley, DPW 805-583-6805
Kyle Gallup - Director Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District 951-955-1265
Eric Simmons - Advisor FEMA Region IX 510-627-7029
Abigail Mayrena - Director Clark County RFCD 702-685-0000 John Moynier - Director Michael Baker International 949-855-5759 Vince Geronimo - Director Mead and Hunt 916-993-4606 Brian Brown - Director City of West Sacramento 916-617-4559
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George Booth - Past Chair Sacramento County 916-874-6484 Kelly Soule - Advisor California DWR 916-574-1205 Jose Lara - Advisor California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) 916-845-8883
Carol Tyau-Beam - Advisor Hawaii DLNR 808-587-0267 Bunny Bishop - Advisor Nevada DWR 775-684-2834 Jeanne Ruefer - Advisor HWC INC 775-722-7395 Mary Seits - Executive Director Floodplain Management Association 760-936-3676
CONTENT
3
A Note From The Chair
4-6
Federal/ National News
8
State News
10-12
Meet the Board
13
Call for Articles
14
What is the Headwater to Floodplains
15-16
From Blight to Delight
18 - 19
Go East, Young Man
20-22
ASFPM Foundation Releases Report on Urban Flooding
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The Differing California Flood Disasters Symposium
24
FMA NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR By Alex Yescas My 2020 Vision
What does this mean and similarities to our region?
Happy New Year fellow floodplain managers! As part of my task list for FMA this year, I intend to deliver you the latest data and news regarding flood management with an eye toward providing essential information to support your programs. Regulating to a higher standard? Regulating to a higher standard than the 100-year event, other regions are reevaluating their risks based on new rainfall data showing that the existing 100-year event may not be the norm. In fact, in Austin, Texas, rainfall data indicates that the 100-year floodplain looks more like the 500-year floodplain. ATLAS 14, a National Weather Service study, used historical rainfall data through 2017 to understand the city’s flood risk.
• Greater Flood Risk – This new rainfall information indicates that more people and property are at risk of flooding. Extreme precipitation events altering rainfall patterns in the southwest. • Changes in Flood Insurance – It is estimated that the number of buildings in the 100-year floodplain could increase. • Impacts to Development and Remodeling – Updating building codes to address new understanding of the increased flood risk. This will minimize future flooding losses, but means that regulations that limit new development in the floodplain will affect more property owners. • Infrastructure Improvements – Both public and private storm drain pipes, bridges, detention basins, and other drainage infrastructure will need to be larger to handle the new storm levels. Existing infrastructure is not sized for the new 100-year storm As floodplain managers in our region, we need to identify the risks associated with this new data that foreshadows these types of events, understand the wide variety of impacts, and develop risk-informed decisions to improve our flood facilities. The Latest Buzz on Flood Management and Emergency Planning
Skyline of Austin, Texas Before the study, it was believed that, in any given year, there was a 1 percent chance of 10.2 inches of rain falling in 24 hours in Austin. This was the official definition of the 100-year storm. Atlas 14 shows that this amount of rainfall is now likely to occur more frequently. The new 100-year storm will be closer to 13 inches of rain in some parts of the city, which resembles the current 500-year storm.
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The Silver Jackets are a team comprised of federal, state, local, and tribal agencies working towards reducing flood risk. In their most recent special edition newsletter, THE BUZZ (October 2019), the Silver Jackets provided a comprehensive federal reference guide to provide assistance for flood management activities. The reference guide is a consolidated set of information that will serve as a catalyst to increase interagency coordination and collaboration among state and federal agencies and improve the combined efficiency and effectiveness of agencies. This reference guide provides a variety of valuable material, including a listing of the types of programs, services, and funding each agency offers. The ultimate goal is to enhance the collective capacity to deliver integrated and adaptive approaches to flood risk management.
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Table 1 - Excerpt from the Silver Jackets newsletter, The Buzz, October 2019 The Silver Jackets also have a searchable online Federal Flood Risk Management Programs DATABASE that can be filtered by user type, federal agency, program purpose, and type of assistance. FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program In addition, FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) has released its latest publication for emergency operations planning. The DAM INCIDENT PLANNING GUIDE (November 2019) supports state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers in planning for dam incidents and failures by summarizing the concepts that a community should consider when creating dam incidentspecific elements of local emergency operations plans. Through the NDSP, emergency managers work directly with neighboring communities, agencies, and the private sector to gain a detailed understanding of the risks they face from local and regional dams and how those risks can be handled. Continues on next page
Oroville Dam Spillway, 2018 FMA NEWS
A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR
Among the topics addressed in this guide are the need for a detailed planning process, understanding the various types of dam incidents, and developing evacuation strategies. Emergency management officials must understand the impact that a dam incident could have on life and property. Being able both to recognize the dam hazard potential classification and understand potential failure modes provides officials with a better understanding of the potential severity of an incident and the appropriate actions to take. Lunch, Learn, Socialize This past month, our Emerging Professionals Committee hosted their first lunch-and-learn of the year in Sacramento with guest speaker Vic Nguyen from the California Department of Water Resources. These free events also have a conference call line available so that members across our regions can call-in and participate. The following are the anticipated lunch-and-learns scheduled for the following months: February: February 27, 2020 12-1pm, Jared Williams from Great Lakes Environmental & Infrastructure MORE INFORMATION March: March 20, 2020 12-1pm, Morgan O’Brien from DWR will be presenting at the DWR JOC Annex MORE INFORMATION April: April 8, 2020 12-1pm, Ben Tustison from MBK will be presenting at the DWR JOC Annex The goal of the Emerging Professionals Committee is to establish these type of lunch-and-learns across our regions. If you are interested in participating in the committee, please contact Megan LeRoy, Emerging Professionals Committee Chair, at megan.leroy@ meadhunt.com to be added to the contact list.
SAVE THE DATE Southwest Extreme Precipitation Symposium (SWEPSYM) April 2, 2020 Doubletree by Hilton – Tempe, AZ California Extreme Precipitation Symposium (CEPSYM) June 30, 2020 ARC Conference Center – UC Davis – Davis, CA Floodplain Management Association Annual Conference September 8-11, 2020 Hyatt Regency - Sacramento, CA
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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 • Pete Gaynor was sworn in as FEMA administrator on January 16, 2020. • Millions of dollars in mitigation assistance has been obligated recently to prevent future flood losses. In the past 30 years, FEMA has invested nearly $1.3 billion to reduce disaster risks in California. • The National Flood Insurance Program and federal budget are currently authorized until September 30, 2020. • The Future of Flood Insurance – Where are we going and what are we doing? MORE INFORMATION In the past 30 years, FEMA has invested nearly $1.3 billion to reduce disaster risks in California.
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WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING
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CLIENTS INCLUDE: US Army Corps of Engineers Nat’l Flood Insurance Program Participating Communities Federal Emergency Management Agency California Department of Water Resources Tennessee Valley Authority
SERVICES OFFERED
Floodplain Studies Hydrology/Hydraulics Numerical Modeling Flood Risk Reduction Sediment Transport Bridge Scour Analysis Hydraulic Structure Design Flood Forecast & Warning Systems
Site Specific PMP Studies Stream Restoration Water Quality & Contaminant Transport Modeling Groundwater Dam Breach Inundation Mapping & Emergency Action Plans Training and Technical Support
MARTIN J TEAL, PE, PH.D, WRE
(858) 487-9378 mteal@westconsultants.com
DAVID CURTIS, PH.D.
(916) 932-7402 dcurtis@westconsultants.com
www.westconsultants.com FMA NEWS
STATE NEWS California 1. California Marks Key Step Toward Achieving Sustainable Groundwater Management Local agencies representing 19 of the state’s most stressed groundwater basins are required to submit plans to the state by midnight tonight on how they will manage their basins to achieve sustainability by 2040. FULL STORY
2. Late January Storms Bring Needed Precipitation but Snowpack Remains Below Average DWR conducted the second manual snow survey of 2020 at Phillips Station on January 30. FULL STORY
3. State Initiates Environmental Review for Proposed Delta Conveyance Project, Begins Public Scoping The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released a Notice of Preparation (NOP) for a proposal to modernize water infrastructure in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, initiating environmental review in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). FULL STORY
4. DWR Moves to Strengthen Protections for Fish, Improve Real-Time Management of State Water Project Moving to strengthen safeguards for fish and expand science-based decision making, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) took formal steps to begin environmental review of long-term operations of the State Water Project (SWP). FULL STORY
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All Things Stormwater 11
Hawaii For archived Wai Halana Newsletters CLICK HERE
For the new transformed flood information platform from Hawaii visit their exciting new weekly blog HERE
Nevada Nevada Floodplain Management Program: The Nevada Division of Water Resources (NDWR) Floodplain Management Program, formerly a part of the Engineering Section with Water Planning and Dam Safety, has been transferred to the newly-established Water Planning and Drought Resiliency Section. The overall planning goals of the NDWR Water Planning and Drought Resiliency Section support the Division’s mission to conserve, protect, manage and enhance the State’s water resources for Nevada's citizens. The new section will take on the responsibilities and duties outlined in NRS Chapter 540, including the review of water conservation plans and floodplain management. Other activities of the new section will include developing a contemporary Statewide Water Plan and Drought Response Plan. Continues on next page
Stormwater Design • Hydrology & Hydraulics Flood Hazard Mitigation • Watershed Planning
Q3 Consulting Q3consulting.net
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Nevada Outreach:
Using technology to mitigate natural disasters Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico in 2017, dropping more than 35 inches of rain – washing out roads, bridges and homes. At least 35 dams, including the 90-year old Guajataca Dam near the city of Quebradillas, experienced damage and required immediate evacuation. The potential for dam breach was high. DSS-WISE™ software enabled us to develop two-dimensional dam breach mapping. Our teams are using advanced technology to help support and protect our communities.
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New flood risk education resources posted! The Nevada Silver Jackets Team is excited to share a new public outreach tool for flood awareness in Nevada. The team created Story Maps, a relatively new presentation format developed by ESRI, to tell the tales of flooding along the Humboldt, Muddy, and Virgin Rivers. Using a computer, smartphone, or tablet, viewers scroll and click through engaging text, visuals, and maps that make up each Story Map. One of the unique features of Story Maps is the ability to create custom, interactive maps within the presentation. Historical accounts and interviews with long-time residents helped to bring local firsthand stories into each narrative, with an overarching message aligned with the “Nevada Floods” slogan. Still to be completed are Story Maps for the Truckee, Carson, and Walker Rivers. These resources are meant to be engaging, educational products for all. The three completed projects can be accessed HERE
Nevada Outreach: The sixth annual Nevada Flood Awareness Week was November 16 – 22, 2019. The goal of Nevada Flood Awareness Week is to promote flood resilient communities in Nevada and increase flood awareness throughout the state. Flood awareness and preparedness are raised through the coordination of local outreach events, a multi-media campaign, and the NEVADAFLOODS.ORG website. Nevada Flood Awareness Week is supported by the NV Silver Jackets team and by many local, state, and federal partners.
MEET THE BOARD KYLE GALLUP
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Kyle Gallup is an Engineering Project Manager with Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (RCFC). Kyle graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Civil Engineering and was hired by RCFC in 2005. Kyle is currently the Designated Floodplain Administrator for the unincorporated area of Riverside County. In this position, he has been collaborating with Riverside County’s Building and Safety Department regarding individual applications, the county floodplain ordinance, floodplain revisions and managing the CRS program. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family, especially when they are camping along the California Coast and in the Sierra Nevadas. He also enjoys riding anything with two wheels - from scooters and mountain bikes to motorcycles and dirt bikes. Kyle’s two daughters are involved in community theater, where he and his wife volunteer their time to support the arts and their children.
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.
He has had a broad range of experience over the last 15 years in stormwater management. Kyle’s work includes the planning and designing of flood control facilities, managing water conservation and water quality improvement projects, overseeing facility construction, and regulating floodplain management.
With offices throughout California, Hawaii and Nevada, AECOM is ready to meet your floodplain, mitigation and resilience needs. aecom.com
tetratech.com FMA NEWS
CALL FOR ARTICLES! 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.
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WHAT IS THE HEADWATERS TO FLOODPLAINS: FLOOD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP?
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DWR
Initiated by the California Department of Water Resources, in cooperation with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Headwaters to Floodplains (H2F): Flood Safety Partnership is a collaborative effort among public agencies to reduce the risk and consequences of flooding in California. Representatives from these organizations comprise the H2F: Flood Safety Partnership Steering Committee, which began meeting in 2019 to create a programmatic framework
and plans for engaging local agencies. Other agencies will have the opportunity to participate in the H2F: Flood Safety Partnership through the partnership’s Focus Area Teams (Dams, Floodplains, and Headwaters) and Project Teams, which will be built as the partnership establishes projects. The H2F: Flood Safety Partnership will maximize collaboration, data sharing, and funding resources that are already in place in California; and identify and help to address unmet flood management needs. Continues on next page
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WHAT IS THE HEADWATERS TO FLOODPLAINS: FLOOD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP?
The H2F: Flood Safety Partnership has three programmatic cornerstones: • Engagement, to facilitate stronger or new collaboration among dam operators, landowners and land use agencies, floodplain managers, emergency management agencies, and other key stakeholders within each California watershed. Levels of engagement will range from developing and maintaining an online information resource about services and funding available, inviting organizations to participate in project-specific meetings, or conducting flood-related presentations in California communities. • Technical assistance, to expand and streamline the sharing of flood-related data, strengthen local flood management programs, and increase flood preparedness throughout the state. Examples of technical assistance include expanding the realtime data monitoring network, conducting workshops with local agencies to improve their capacity and capabilities to pursue specific programs and projects, and providing centralized flood hazard and risk resources.
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• Funding assistance, to help public agencies find and successfully access existing funding opportunities; identify and promote new funding sources; and inform policy decisions about funding needs. Examples of funding assistance include conducting workshops and seminars to support successful grant applications, populating the H2F online information resource with information about funding available from a broad range of sources, and administering grant programs when funding opportunities are created by H2F partners. Floodplain managers are encouraged to participate in future H2F: Flood Safety Partnership activities as you become aware of them, and to contact the H2F: Flood Safety Partnership Steering Committee to discuss projects that may be relevant to the partnership’s work. The H2F: Flood Safety Partnership is also in the process of developing a website and resource portal that will be available to the public by the end of 2020. If you have any questions or comments for the H2F: Flood Safety Partnership Steering Committee please email H2F@WATER.CA.GOV
We Make a Difference 17
Prado Dam Outlet Works Design
San Diego Creek Watershed Studies
Stafford Dam E.A.P.
Delivering innovative, cost-effective and sustainable solutions integrating water, people and the environment Watershed & Stream Corridor Planning • Flood Risk Management Flood Studies & Modeling • Ecosystem Restoration Climate Change • Community Planning • Geospatial & LiDAR
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FROM BLIGHT TO DELIGHT: TRANSFORMING A CREEK USING NATURAL ENGINEERING METHODS Tory R. Walker, PE, CFM, LEED GA, QISP
The words “natural” and “engineering” are not often seen together. “Engineering” often conjures up ideas of elaborately-designed processes and structures such as bridges, buildings, engines, machines, or even electronics. When you think of engineered solutions, we often think of concrete or other materials that give us a certain level of confidence in the reliability of the solutions we design. While these types of solutions are still very useful and even essential for societal accommodation and advancement, when it comes to the natural world, synthetic solutions too often fail to blend with nature’s inherent processes, causing interference with wildlife habitats and destroying the natural beauty of the landscape. The Lenox Drive Vector Habitat Remediation Project, located north of the Lenox Drive Bridge presented several of these design challenges. However, with the united effort of multiple stakeholders, the newly rehabilitated reach of Chollas Creek is a showcase example of how natural engineering methods can be implemented to restore a portion of an urban creek, providing benefits such as improved water quality, stormwater retention, mosquito abatement, sensitive habitat enhancement, and environmental clean-up.
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Why did Chollas Creek Need Restoration? Stagnant water had been forming for years as a result of deteriorated concrete grade control structures immediately north of the Lenox Drive Bridge. This presented an ongoing health and safety issue caused by breeding mosquitoes within the Encanto community. The objective of the project was to protect the public health and safety by removing favorable conditions for the breeding of these vectors, especially those species that carry the West Nile Virus, while balancing water quality, environmental protection and, if possible, producing an aesthetically-pleasing result. The Benefits of Going “Natural” In an effort to maintain the engineered form, channel banks are often hardened or designed with riprap, gabion baskets or concrete revetment, and the installation of grade control structures to prevent stream bed and bank erosion. These traditional approaches often destroy aquatic habitats along with the natural beauty of the stream because they fail to recognize the natural processes that shape and maintain stream channels, and they cannot facilitate interactions between the channel and adjacent riparian areas. In contrast, the geomorphic, or natural, approach to stream restoration works with, rather than against, the natural processes that shape and maintain stream channels. This approach helps to restore a stable, self-maintaining channel form, reestablishes the critical interactions between the stream and surrounding riparian areas, and reduces, if not altogether eliminates future maintenance costs.
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What Did the Stream Restoration Work Involve? The project site had two existing concrete drop structures in the stream bed located immediately upstream of the Lenox Drive Bridge. The structures were old and deteriorated, had caused erosion to the drainage channel and formed scour ponds that contained standing water. These concrete drop structures were broken up and removed, and replaced with a Newberry Riffle, which mimics many riffles found in nature.
A Newberry Riffle is an engineered solution, in that it requires all the understanding and tools needed to design a hydraulic structure, but it also incorporates natural materials (e.g. natural stone) properly sized and placed to ensure stability and sustainability. For this project, the channel bottom was re-graded to create a constant slope, and properly sized natural stone was strategically placed in the creek bed thus reducing flow velocity and erosion of the drainage channel and stabilizing the creek bed. Revegetation along the edges of the stream, in addition to enhancing the habitat and aesthetics of this reach, further stabilizes the banks. This reach of Chollas Creek has been transformed from a public nuisance to a public amenity. The true reward of this project is seeing the design functioning as planned (and originally intended in nature) and knowing the work will improve and sustain quality of life for surrounding residents and the environment. Click here to see a video of the newly restored creek in action.
Tory r. Walker engineering r e l i a b l e s o l u T i o n s i n WaT e r r e s o u r c e s
Building Trust through
RELIABLE SOLUTIONS: • Watershed Management • Floodplain Management • Storm Water Management • River Restoration • Flood Facilities Design • Sedimentation and Erosion
www.trwengineering.com
760-414-9212
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GO EAST, YOUNG MAN! Michael C. Nowlan Pardon the dramatic allusions to American history and manifest destiny for they are muddled and mired in politics and controversy. But, the presence of California’s own Ricardo Pineda on the national scene exemplifies the unbridled enthusiastic spirit of American frontierism and the dispersion of knowledge. He is blazing a trail back eastward! In the 1800’s the west, including California, was considered the fertile grounds for opportunity and growth in our nation. As a result, the west attracted many of the best and brightest challenge-taking individuals. It is only fitting that we share back what we’ve learned. On that note, if you are not yet aware, Ricardo is now serving as the Chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). I recently sat down (actually I was standing at my desk on the phone) with Ricardo and picked his brain about recent happenings, and his thoughts about the future. There were two major “first” impressions that I came away with. First of all, having a conversation about anything having to do with water with Ricardo is like, pardon the pun, “drinking from a firehose”. After our phone interview Ricardo immediately forwarded me six emails with articles and information that he only “briefly” explained during our interview. For the full firehose effect I suggest you read his articles in more depth by visiting the ASFPM website for News & Views (2019/2020) HERE. Secondly, it is very difficult to get Ricardo to talk about himself, as he always wants to talk about exciting projects other people are doing. I strongly suspect that both his humility and vast knowledge helped propel him to where he is today.
Before becoming the Chair of ASFPM Ricardo has had a long and illustrious career working in the California Department of Water Resources. While California may have a case for laying sole claim to him early in his career, we couldn’t keep him to ourselves for long. New Orleans folks may love him as much as we do since he helped a great deal during the post-Katrina era, working side by side with Louisiana locals navigating the political bayous of fixing the levees. Ricardo did share that he was very honored to have been chosen as the ASFPM Chair. It was not something he was seeking, but it just came to him as an opportunity after some folks nominated him. (I can neither confirm nor deny that FMA had anything to do with that.) In the play Twelfth Night Shakespeare wrote “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em”. Ricardo would shy away from any such allusions about himself, but I’ll leave it to each of you to decide how he carries that mantle. He has some goals during his (first) year in office. He wants to update the ASFPM strategic plan, collaboratively of course. He also wants to continue to have an influence on the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. Oh, did I mention that he testified before Congress recently for the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment? If you want to watch him in action, his testimony is located HERE. His testimony begins at minute 31 and continues on for some time through the question and answer sessions. Ricardo shared that it was a “bit nerve-wracking” tackling the daunting task of trying to boil down pages and pages of information to a few short minutes of testimony. Alas, even for Ricardo, time and tide wait for no man, especially in Congressional hearings! Continues on next spread
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GO EAST, YOUNG MAN!
Later in our interview Ricardo shared his passion for many issues, including his passion for Dam Safety. He looks forward to perhaps working with Senator Gillibrand on a bill to address issues associated with non-Federal dams. He thinks it was just “coincidental” that the Senator and he were thinking along the same lines. He looks forward to working on projects with the Flood Science Center for ASFPM. He would also like to contribute to that whole “reauthorization” thing, before eventually retiring to Central America.
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
All in all, Ricardo is involved. Very involved. In a lot of things. He is also extremely knowledgeable and I plan on tapping him for Newsletter content as long as he’ll let me. Understanding and describing Ricardo is a bit like understanding a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. In fact, from here on out I propose that we institute our own special FMA adage, in honor of our local boy making big. Whenever we encounter a huge information gathering and processing effort or an important super-challenging floodplain issue, I propose that we say, “Well, it’s a bit like a Ricardo”.
ASFPM FOUNDATION RELEASES REPORT ON URBAN FLOODING: A MUST READ PRACTITIONERS’ PERSPECTIVE ON THIS EMERGING THREAT Across the United States, urban flooding is becoming more frequent and severe, with increasingly serious impacts to stormwater infrastructure, vulnerable neighborhoods, local and regional economies, and public health. Chronic to extreme, disruptive to catastrophic – urban flooding is rapidly becoming this nation’s number one factor contributing to increased future flood risk. Resilience in the face of this progressively serious problem demands attention and action now. Urban flooding is not new, but it is different than how we experienced it a decade ago. Intensified by sea level rise and changing precipitation patterns, urban flooding is more frequent and intense, with underlying infrastructure designed to handle much smaller flooding events. The water has nowhere to go. As a result, major sectors of our economy are adversely impacted and people living and working in these more densely populated flood-prone areas are at increasing risk. To catalyze attention and action, the ASSOCIATION OF STATE FLOODPLAIN MANAGERS (ASFPM) FOUNDATION has published “Urban Flooding: Moving Towards Resilience. A Summary Report based on the 6th Assembly of the Gilbert F. White National Flood Policy Forum.”
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The report draws from the wide-ranging discussions that took place during the Foundationsponsored Forum last year and attended by more than 100 experts from local, state, and federal agencies; professional associations and environmental groups; and private sector organizations. It includes examples of time-critical efforts taking place now to prepare for future conditions that could be very different from today. The report offers practical suggestions for obtaining better data and information, involving vulnerable populations in planning decisions, and exploring funding and financing opportunities to identify and advance solutions. Its summary policy and program recommendations focus on integrated approaches and immediate next steps, including organizing an urban flooding summit in 2021 to address more in-depth the issues and jump-start needed changes. The report can be found on the ASFPM FOUNDATION WEBSITE. Please take a few minutes to download and read it. Then take a few more minutes to think about the role that you, and your agency or organization, could play in further discussions and idea sharing to collaboratively solve this complex problem. Urban flooding has long been seen as a local issue. But it also needs to become a national priority, and for that matter a global one. The ASFPM Foundation is committed to help make it so. We welcome your help as we begin this important journey for a stronger, more resilient future.
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THE DIFFERING CALIFORNIA FLOOD DISASTERS SYMPOSIUM
2019 Floodplain Management Association Annual Conference
Flood Management Solutions From Concept to Completion Coastal and Riverine Flood Management Vulnerability Analysis Habitat Restoration Climate Change Permitting + Compliance Betty Andrews, PE bandrews@esassoc.com 707.795.0900
Nick Garrity, PE ngarrity@esassoc.com 310.599.4300
ESA is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm delivering work that matters. FMA NEWS www.esassoc.com
On April 4, 2019, in Sacramento FMA hosted the Association of State Floodplain Managers Foundation, and about 100 attendees, for a one day, three topic symposium. At the event, selected experts convened in an open-discussion, thinktank-type environment to explore the program and policy implications of "The Differing California Flood Disasters", including emergency response to levee breaches, flood/alluvial fan/mudflow hazards, and the flood/dam nexus. The flood/dam nexus breakout session discussed the 1,200 jurisdictional dams in California plus the federal dams and how a one-size-fits-all approach is not recommended when quantifying, discussing, and presenting the potential safety hazards of the dams. The levee breakout session recognized that there are about 9,000 miles of levees in California. They all need work and there are challenges dealing with funding and regulations. The flood after fire breakout session discussed the recent tragic fires and the need to improve and implement debris flow inundation modeling tools. This was a very interesting day and the outcome is a white paper, posted at WWW.FLOODPLAIN.ORG
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Have questions or comments about this month's articles? Participate in the discussion on the FMA facebook page!
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THE HIGH
WATER MARK The Newsletter of the Floodplain Management Association