Jim Martell, P.G. Geologist / Engineer Levee Safety Program Manager Tulsa District

Tulsa District – Building Strong!

Jim Martell, P.G. Geologist / Engineer

Levee Safety Program ManagerTulsa District

Corps of Engineers

Flood Gate In Halstead Kansas

Corps of Engineers Levee Safety Program


…is the art and science of ensuring the integrity and viability of levees such that they do not present unacceptable risks to the public, property, and the environment

West Columbus, Ohio

Levee Safety


National Levee Safety Program

• Background: – USACE Flood Damage Reduction mission began with the 1917

Flood Control Act– Significant Role in flood activities nationwide to include the

protection of life and property behind federal levee systems.– Hurricane Katrina and Rita devastation in 2005 brought levee safety

to the forefront of public awareness– Findings of investigations into flood damage reduction system’s

performance in New Orleans prompted the need for a comprehensive and risk-informed approach to national levee safety, including periodic assessments.


Graduated Levee Assessments

Periodic Inspections:Verifies O&M, Evaluates Structure Stability,Compares Constructed Criteria to CurrentCriteria, Every 5 Years

Periodic Assessments Periodic Inspection + Potential Failure Mode and Consequences Analysis, Every 5 Years

Risk Assessments Data Intensive, Determine Likelihood and Consequences of Failure, TBD - Every 10 Years

Routine Inspections:Verifies O&M, More Rigorous Standards, Improved Communication, System-based, Every Year

Increasing Rigor, E

ffort

Continuous Feedback

Robust Levee Safety Program


Corps Regulations/Guidance

– 33 CFR 208.10– ER 500-1-1 (RIP Program)

– DR 1130-2-530, Project Operations MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ON MODIFICATIONS TO PROJECTS

– Levee Owner’s Manual – Levee District semi-annual inspection report – Laptop Inspection Tool

Levee Inspection Program


GPS keeps track of location

Pop up menus allow Inspector to enter inspection notes



• Total 231 Miles of Levees and 59 miles of Improved Channels

• Inspection of Completed Works (ICW) Program

– 17 Federally constructed/locally operated and maintained levee projects (207 mi.)

– 11 Federally constructed channel projects totaling 59 mi.

• Rehabilitation Inspection Program (RIP)

– 3 Non-Federal (privately constructed/operated and maintained) levee projects (7 mi.)

• Corps Owned Operated Levees

– 8 USACE owned/operated levee projects (17 mi.) – Corps Operated and Maintained

Levee Safety – Tulsa District


National Levee Safety Program - Current Activities• Engineering Technical Letter (ETL) No. 1110-2-571 Guidelines for Landscape Planting and Vegetation Management at Levees, Floodwalls,

Embankment Dams, and Appurtenant Structures.– This ETL does not establish new standards, but clarifies, and supersedes, those formerly presented in EM 1110-2-301 (Jan. 1, 2000).

• Key Points– Fifteen feet is the minimally accepted vegetation free zone (VFZ) and is widely viewed as not sufficient for all projects. To date, no

research exists to justify a reduction to existing standards.– If an existing project easement (real estate interest) allows for less than 15 feet, the VFZ shall be the maximum attainable within the

existing real estate interest.– The ETL discusses a limited range of conditions under which a variance to vegetation standards may be granted. The variance

request process is currently under revision and interim guidance is available through the HQUSACE Levee Safety Program Manager (LSPM). Public safety will not be compromised.

– The standards in the ETL are not new, and USACE has considered them critical to flood damage reduction project reliability for decades.

– The ETL is available at: http://140.194.76.129/publications/eng-tech-ltrs/etl1110-2-571/toc.htm


National Levee Safety Program - Current Activities



Current Activities• AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 –

Periodic Inspections of Levees :

– $90 Million nationwide

– Opportunity to leverage stimulating the economy through the use of the private sector contractors to accomplish Periodic Inspections with obtaining much needed information about the levee infrastructure throughout the nation.

– The activity will assist in aggressively advancing the Levee Safety Program toward achieving its goal of reducing flood risks and improving public safety.

– Complete execution of activities by September 30, 2010.

– All levees in federal levee program including inactive levees



Current Activities

The Levee Screening Tool

• The Levee Screening Risk Assessment (LSRA) Tool (Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet) provides a preliminary assessment of the general condition and associated risks of levee segments and systems in support of the USACE Levee Safety Program.

• Routine inspection data will be combined with a preliminary engineering assessment to indicate the ability of a levee system to perform as intended and the consequences of potential failure.

• The LSRA determines a preliminary relative risk index that will consider routine inspection results and ratings coupled with a review and evaluation of historical performance data, as-built drawings, economic and life loss consequences, historic and current hydraulic and hydrology data, and other data. This will help determine the potential for failure and the consequences of failure.



Current Activities

National Levee Database – Surveys for Tulsa District

• Congress directed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to develop a national levee inventory to locate and document the status of levees under Federal jurisdiction. A cornerstone of this effort is the National Levee Database (NLD).

• Contractor, PBS&J, will survey levees this summer, fall and winter in federal program to collect detailed survey information on the levee without any cost to the city/county. This survey information is being collected for the NLD and will be shared with you after it is finalized and quality assurance checks have been completed.


National Levee Database Model Geographic Features

floodwall_linefloodwall_line

levee_centerlinelevee_centerline

protected_areaprotected_area

pump_station_pointpump_station_point

levee_relief_well_piontlevee_relief_well_piont

closure_structure_lineclosure_structure_line

levee_crossing_pointlevee_crossing_point

levee_station_pointlevee_station_point

gravity_drain_linegravity_drain_line

piezometer_pointpiezometer_point

borehole_pointborehole_point

sand_boil_pointsand_boil_point

levee_flood_fight_pointlevee_flood_fight_point

levee_failure_pointlevee_failure_point

cross_section_linecross_section_line

encroachment pointencroachment point

rehabilitation linerehabilitation line

Documents

Jim Martell, P.G. Geologist / Engineer Levee Safety Program Manager Tulsa District