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Framing Action Around a Watershed
- Baker United Strategic Recovery Plan , 2018, pg.18
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In March and August 2016, Louisiana experienced two catastrophic rain storms. The rising August floodwaters in and around Baton Rouge took 13 lives and inundated more than 109,000 homes (LED 2017). In its wake there was an estimated $8.7 billion in damages requiring recovery efforts that will take years to complete. Though classified as a “one-in-1,000-year flood” this was the 3rd such event to hit the southeastern US in 2016, and one of a number since 2010. Climate scientists predict that these types of severe rain storms are likely to increase in frequency and intensity in the future (Prein et al. 2016).
These two floods highlighted weaknesses in Louisiana’s approach to managing water and risk reduction. In response, the state has implemented the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, which coordinates state, regional, and local agencies in an effort to reduce flood risk by directly taking into account the flow of water and its natural boundaries, rather than focusing primarily on municipal boundaries. Actions taken in one community can have a downstream impact on the flow of water−increasing or reducing the risk of flooding in other communities. At the same time, decisions about community development across a region are often uncoordinated and may be inconsistent with preventing flooding. Considering how connected communities across a watershed are, this approach will help to coordinate decisions about land use and infrastructure investment at the watershed level to more effectively manage flood risk. When thinking about planning at a watershed scale, these concepts set this framework apart from traditional planning: Broad Scales, Complexity, and Dynamicism.
Watershed Approach Foundational Concepts
BROAD SCALES
Watershed planning units are defined by their environmental boundaries and functions rather than political boundaries.
COMPLEXITY
Watershed planning includes all of the elements in a system−natural, social, economic, and political−in the context of relationships with each other rather than in isolation. This approach strives for diversity−including biological, social, and economic−to protect the integrity of the whole system and promote resilience.
DYNAMICISM
Watersheds are constantly changing through both natural and man-made processes. Planning for reduced risk and increased resilience requires monitoring and adaptation over time to address ever changing needs.
What is Watershed Planning?
Watersheds are areas of land that drain to a common body of water. Watershed planning provides a strategy for achieving resource and community goals related to water quantity and quality for an ecologically-defined system. The watershed planning process uses a series of cooperative, iterative steps to characterize existing conditions, identify and prioritize problems, define management objectives, and develop and implement restoration, protection, and monitoring recommendations at a range of scales.
Watershed boundaries often extend beyond political boundaries, necessitating collaboration and cooperation among neighboring jurisdictions to effectively manage stormwater.
MISSISSIPPI LOUISIANA
Baker, Louisiana
Baker is a small city (8.3 square miles) in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. The city lies approximately 15 miles north of Baton Rouge, the state capital. Given its proximity to major industrial employers, state government agencies, and medical centers, the community has long served as a small but stable bedroom community in the Baton Rouge region. Suburban style homes and single family subdivisions represent much of the developed area, with significant areas of commercial development along major thoroughfares. The Baton Rouge Zoo, which is adjacent to the southern boundary of the city, brings outside dollars into the community when zoo visitors support local businesses. Baker is located at the intersection of three distinct watersheds−Cypress Bayou, White Bayou, and Hurricane Creek− each poses a different flood risk and requires different management strategies.
Each watershed poses a unique flood risk and requires unique management strategies.
