1. Corps of Engineers Levee Safety Program Levee Safety Program Manager
Jim Martell, P.G.
Geologist / Engineer
Levee Safety Program Manager
Tulsa District
Corps of Engineers
What is Levee Safety?
Well, here is one definition that the USACE has embraced.
What does this say?
(Read Slide)
The Underlying principles here are:
Hold life safety paramount above all other objectives
Integrate risk informed methods to safety management
Communicate risks openly to the public and stakeholders
Risks are shared responsibilities – an informed public is empowered to participate in risk management
Build public trust
Flood Gate In Halstead Kansas

2. Levee Safety
…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
What is Levee Safety?
Well, here is one definition that the USACE has embraced.
What does this say?
(Read Slide)
The Underlying principles here are:
Hold life safety paramount above all other objectives
Integrate risk informed methods to safety management
Communicate risks openly to the public and stakeholders
Risks are shared responsibilities – an informed public is empowered to participate in risk management
Build public trust
West Columbus, Ohio

3. 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.
I thought I would give you a little background on how the Corps is involved with the new National Levee Safety Program.
The USACE flood damage reduction mission began with the 1917 Flood Control Act.
The Act gave the USACE a significant role in flood activities nationwide, to include the protection of life and property behind federal program levee systems.
Hurricane Katrina’s and Rita ‘s devastation in 2005 brought levee safety to the forefront of public awareness. The findings of subsequent investigations into the flood damage reduction system’s performance in New Orleans identified a need for a comprehensive and risk-informed approach to national levee safety, including periodic inspections.

4. Graduated Levee Assessments
Robust Levee Safety Program
Graduated Levee Assessments
Routine Inspections:
Verifies O&M, More Rigorous Standards, Improved Communication, System-based, Every Year
Continuous Feedback
Periodic Inspections:
Verifies O&M, Evaluates Structure Stability,
Compares Constructed Criteria to Current
Criteria, Every 5 Years
Increasing Rigor, Effort
FY07
Developed new, more robust procedures and checklist for routine inspection process.
Developed Framework for graduated assessment process – Routine Inspections, Periodic Inspections
Developed Levee Inspector Tool (GPS based) for inspections and report preparation
Developed initial Periodic Inspection Criteria (based on Dam Safety requirements)
FY08 Inspections
3 Regional Training Classes for new inspection procedures and Levee Inspector Tool
Finalize Periodic Inspection Criteria for FY09 implementation (to be completed by Policy & procedures team with input from Assessment Methodology team)
Used levee inspection tool (laptop)
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

5. Levee Inspection Program
Corps Regulations/Guidance
33 CFR
ER (RIP Program)
DR , Project Operations MAINTENANCE STANDARDS, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ON MODIFICATIONS TO PROJECTS
Levee Owner’s Manual
Levee District semi-annual inspection report
Laptop Inspection Tool

6. GPS keeps track of location
Pop up menus allow Inspector to enter inspection notes

8. Levee Safety – Tulsa District
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

9. National Levee Safety Program - Current Activities
Engineering Technical Letter (ETL) No 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 (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:

10. National Levee Safety Program - Current Activities

11. National Levee Safety Program 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

12. National Levee Safety Program 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.

13. National Levee Safety Program 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.

14. National Levee Database Model Geographic Features
floodwall_line
levee_centerline
protected_area
pump_station_point
levee_relief_well_piont
closure_structure_line
levee_crossing_point
levee_station_point
gravity_drain_line
piezometer_point
borehole_point
sand_boil_point
levee_flood_fight_point
levee_failure_point
cross_section_line
encroachment point
rehabilitation line
Red is mandatory data
Yellow is optional