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Managing Flood Risk Policy Summit Insights

Explore challenges & solutions in flood risk management with overviews of watershed projects, funding, and strategies for future resilience.

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Managing Flood Risk Policy Summit Insights

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  1. National Flood Risk Management Policy Summit Managing Flood Risk: Where do we go? July 14, 2009 Bruce A. Julian USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service

  2. Managing Flood Risk— • Questions to ponder— • What have we been doing? • Is “it” enough? • What do we need to be doing differently? • Will fewer resources deliver the desired outcomes?

  3. Perspective— • Over 2000 authorized watershed projects • All projects require a local sponsor • 11,000 flood control structures • >$1.5 billion in annual benefits • Flood mitigation, water conservation, municipal/industrial water supply, water quality measures, fish & wildlife habitat • >$1.4 billion in authorized, unfunded federal commitments

  4. NRCS Water Resources Program Tools • Watershed Surveys & Planning • Watershed Operations** • Watershed Rehabilitation** • Floodplain Easements** (Emergency Watershed Protection Program) • Wetlands Reserve Program **Recovery Act Funding

  5. Photo by Don Mobley Photo by Don Mobley

  6. House Elevations Photo by Pennoni Associates, Inc.

  7. Elevation Underway Photo by Pennoni Associates, Inc.

  8. Elevation Completed Neshaminy Creek

  9. Funds this Fiscal Year:(millions)

  10. Watershed Operations • Structural and non-structural flood mitigation solutions • Floodplain easements • Projects with multiple solutions to flooding • 100% federal share—cost of construction

  11. Watershed Rehabilitation • >11,000 dams—many reaching their design life • Change in hazard class • Not eligible if sponsors failed to perform O&M • 65% federal share of the total project cost

  12. Floodplain Easements • >120,000 acres in the current portfolio • First national sign-up = over 4,200 applications, $1.4 billion, competing for $145 million • Selected 289 projects, 36,000 acres, 36 states • Approx. 100% of the ag land value, 100% of the restoration costs • Eligibility: damaged once in the last 12 months or twice in the last 10 years • Dam breach zone

  13. Wetland Reserve Program • Over 2 million acres of easements acquired/restored in the last 15 years • Farm Bill authority to enroll another 1 million acres • Pace: 150,000-250,000 acres per year • 100% of acquisition costs • 100% of the wetland restoration costs

  14. So………. • Questions to ponder— • What have we been doing? • Is “it” enough? • What do we need to be doing differently? • Will fewer resources deliver the desired outcome—[is there anyone one in the room that thinks we can get “more” for less?]

  15. Pondering…… • Options— • Path #1—More of the same (includes declining $$) • Path #2—Do/try something(s) different “Don’t expect different results by using the same tools and processes…….”

  16. Partners— Success depends on all of us working together— “All” includes a partner set of local, state, feds, NGO’s and the private sector—it does not include fewer resources.

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