American Water Resources Association

WATER RESOURCESDISASTER RECOVERY

WATER RESOURCESDISASTER RECOVERY

November 2007 | Volume 9 | Number 6

WATER RESOURCES DISASTER RECOVERY

Associate Editor ~ Eric J. Fitch ~ fitche@marietta.edu

This issue of IMPACT is devoted to what happens next, be it next week,next month, next year, next decade, or even next time. The subject hereis Water Resource-caused natural disasters and what happens in termsof recovery and mitigation against repeating the disasters in the future.This issue presents a wide array of geographic locations and impacts, aswell as a wide sampling of time frames and stages of “recovery.”

OVERVIEW04 After the Disaster

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FEATURE ARTICLES

05 Lake Okeechobee, Florida: The Next Hurricane Disaster?SStteepphheenn PP.. LLeeaatthheerrmmaann ((SStteepphheenn..LLeeaatthheerrmmaann@@ffiiuu..eedduu)),,KKeeqqii ZZhhaanngg,, aanndd CChheennggyyoouu XXiiaaoo

In 1928, one of the worst disasters in American history resulted in the lossof 2,500 lives. Despite the decades of work by the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers and incredible investment in dollars and infrastructure, manymore people remain in harm’s way today than back in the 1920s. AKatrina-type hurricane could result in a much greater magnitude of a disaster than in 1928.

08 1993 Upper Mississippi Flood: A Personal Look Back and aLook Forward at Preparations for the Next Major FloodRRoobbeerrtt RR.. HHoollmmeess,, JJrr.. ((bbhhoollmmeess@@uussggss..ggoovv))

Nearly 15 years ago, the Upper Mississippi River basin experienced what hassince come to be known in the region as “The Great Flood.” This article reflectson the situation and circumstances that led to the flood and its catastrophicimpact, and what has been done in preparation for the next “big one.”

12 Disaster Recovery Following the 1997 Spring Floods inMinnesotaKKeenntt LLookkkkeessmmooee ((kkeenntt..llookkkkeessmmooee@@ddnnrr..ssttaattee..mmnn..uuss))

Few corners of America are immune from the disastrous combination offlooding waters and inadequate protective infrastructure. A region that hadbeen impacted by the “Great Flood of 1993” was struck again four years laterwith massive flooding on the Red River of the North and the Minnesota River.Recovery efforts and planning for future flood control was extended by theseevents to a whole new region.

14 Impacts of Hurricane Rita Along the Southwest LouisianaCoast, U.S.A.GGrreeggoorryy WW.. SSttoonnee ((ggaaggrreegg@@llssuu..eedduu)),,FFeelliixx JJoossee,, aanndd WWaalltteerr SS.. GGuuiiddrroozz

The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season was one for the record books ... 28tropical and subtropical storms, with 15 becoming hurricanes. In anotheryear, Hurricane Rita would have been a big deal. She caused significantharm to the Texas and Louisiana coasts, coming onshore as a significantCategory 3 after peaking as an extremely strong Category 5 a few daysearlier. Recovery efforts often roll Rita in with her more notorious sisterKatrina. Rita’s impacts are just now becoming understood and this articlepoints out some very surprising facts on her impacts.

17 Coping With Multiple Hazards in the Cascadia Corridor:A Transdisciplinary Disaster Management ApproachJJaassoonn KK.. LLeevvyy ((JJaassoonn..LLeevvyy@@wwwwuu..eedduu))

Many of the most beautiful and popular areas, especially on the coasts, arevulnerable not to single natural hazards, but multiple ones. Often thesehazards are interlinked and can result in not a single natural disaster, but acascade of calamity. This article examines what is necessary to plan for andcope with this type of circumstance.

photos on cover - istock.com

VOLUME 9 • NUMBER 6 • NOVEMBER 2007

Editorial Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • N. EARL SPANGENBERG(espangen@uwsp.edu)

University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point,Wisconsin

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

FAYE ANDERSON(fayeanderson23@gmail.com)

Graduate School, USDA • Washington, D.C.

JEFFERSON G. EDGENS(jedgens@alltel.net)

EnviroSolutions • Irwinton, Georgia

ERIC J. FITCH(fitche@marietta.edu)

Marietta College • Marietta, Ohio

MICHELLE HENRIE(mhenrie@bhfs.com)

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, P.C.Albuquerque, New Mexico

JONATHAN E. JONES(jonjones@wrightwater.com)

Wright Water Engineers • Denver, Colorado

CLAY J. LANDRY(landry@waterexchange.com)

WestWater Research • Boise, Idaho

RICHARD H. MCCUEN(rhmccuen@eng.umd.edu)

University of Maryland • College Park, Maryland

LAUREL E. PHOENIX(phoenixl@uwgb.edu)

University of Wisconsin • Green Bay, Wisconsin

TECHNICAL DIRECTORRICHARD A. ENGBERG

(dick@awra.org)AWRA • Middleburg, Virginia

BUSINESS CORRESPONDENTCHRISTINA STEINHOFF

(Steinhoff@waterexchange.com)WestWater Research • Vancouver, Washington

CAREER COLUMNISTMARSHALL A. BROWN

(marshall@mbrownassociates.com)Marshall Brown & Associates•Washington, D.C.

LEGAL CORRESPONDENTKYLE S. HARWOOD

(kyle@harwood-consulting.com)Harwood Consulting, PC • Santa Fe, New Mexico

AWRA . . . Community,Conversation,Connections®

2 • Water Resources IMPACT November • 2007

AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION

4 West Federal Street • P.O. Box 1626Middleburg, VA 20118-1626

(540) 687-8390 / Fax: (540) 687-8395E-Mail: info@awra.org • Homepage: www.awra.org

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

N. EARL SPANGENBERGCollege of Natural Resources

University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI 54481

(715) 346-2372 • Fax: (715) 346-3624E-Mail: espangen@uwsp.edu

(Support for Dr. Spangenberg is provided by theCollege of Natural Resources

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point)

AWRA DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS PRODUCTION

CHARLENE E. YOUNG3077 Leeman Ferry Rd., Suite A3

Huntsville, AL 35801-5690(256) 650-0701 • Fax: (256) 650-0570

E-Mail: charlene@awra.org

Water Resources IMPACT is owned and published bi-monthly by the American Water Resources Association,4 West Federal St., P.O. Box 1626, Middleburg, Virginia20118-1626, USA. The yearly subscription rate is$80.00 domestic and $95.00 for International sub-scribers. For the International Priority Shipping Option,add $50.00 to the subscription rate. Single copies of IMPACT are available for $15.00/each (domestic) and$20.00/each (international). For bulk purchases, con-tact the AWRA Headquarters office.

IMPACT is a magazine of ideas. Authors, Associate Ed-itors, and the Editor-In-Chief work together to create apublication that will inform and will provoke conversa-tion. The views and conclusions expressed by individualauthors and published in Water Resources IMPACTshould not be interpreted as necessarily representingthe official policies, either expressed or implied, of theAmerican Water Resources Association.

Mention of any trademark or proprietary product inworks published in the Water Resources IMPACT doesnot constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product bythe American Water Resources Association and does notimply its approval to the exclusion of other productsthat may also be suitable.

Contact the AWRA HQ Office if you have any ques-tions pertaining to your membership status. For infor-mation on advertising rates and deadlines, contactCharlene Young, AWRA Director of Publications Produc-tion, at the address given above.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Water ResourcesIMPACT, American Water Resources Association, 4 WestFederal St., P.O. Box 1626, Middleburg, VA 20118-1626. Copyright © 2007 by the American Water Re-sources Association.

• VOL. 9 • NO. 6 • NOVEMBER 2007 •ISSN 1522-3175

A Bi-Monthly Publication of theAMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION

Other features in this issue ...

▲ AWRA BUSINESS11 Send Us Your Feedback23 Herbert Scholarship Award Winner -

Undergraduate Division24 2008-2009 Richard A. Herbert Memorial

Scholarship Opportunities Available29 President’s Message29 AWRA Future Meetings30 Water Resources in the Next Decade31 October 2007 JAWRA Papers33 AWRA 2007 Membership Application

▲ Public Radio Broadcasts Available . . . . . . . . . .20▲ Water Resources Puzzler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21▲ Continuing Education Opportunities . . . . . . . .31

▲ IMPACT “SPECIAL COLUMNS”22 The New Economy of Water ... Putting Indian Water

Rights to UseClay J. Landry and Christina J. Steinhoff

30 What’s Up With Water ... Ozymandias, AdaptiveManagement, and the American WestEric J. Fitch

31 High-Gear Motivation: How to Hit Your Peak DayAfter DayMarshall A. Brown

32 Legal Issues ... Adaptive Management of WaterResources in Light of Future Climate UncertaintyMichelle Henrie and Kyle S. HarwoodGuest Columnists ~ Gerald Sehlke and

Mark Colosimo(Opinions expressed by our columnists are their own and do not represent the opinion or position of AWRA.)

CommunityConversationConnections

Scheduled Topics for Future Issues ...

JANUARY 2008GIS AND WATER RESOURCES

LORRI PELTZ-LEWIS (GUEST EDITOR) (LPELTZLEWIS@MP.USBR.GOV)

MARCH 2008SUPPORTING WATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION

MICHELLE HENRIE (MHENRIE@BHFS.COM)CLAY J. LANDRY (LANDRY@WATEREXCHANGE.COM)

MAY 2008RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS & BUFFERS:

AT THE WATER’S EDGEALBERT TODD (GUEST EDITOR) ATODD@FS.FED.US

LAUREL PHOENIX (PHOENIXL@UWGB.EDU

All of the topics listed above are subject to change. For information con-cerning submitting an article to be included in the above issues, con-tact the designated Associate Editor or the Editor-In-Chief N. EarlSpangenberg at (espangen@uwsp.edu).

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