ITEM TITLE:
Approval of Written Request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Initiate a Preliminary Analysis of Eligibility of a Lowe River 10-Mile Area Project for a Continuing Authorities Program, Section 205, Small Flood Damage Reduction Project
SUBMITTED BY: AnnMarie Lain, Certified Floodplain Manager
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve a Written Request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Initiate a Preliminary Analysis of Eligibility of a Lowe River 10-Mile Area Project for a Continuing Authorities Program, Section 205, Small Flood Damage Reduction Project.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
In 2016 the Mayors Flood Task Force met with representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District to seek solutions to the City of Valdez’s flooding and erosion concerns. It is the recommendation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District to move forward with a community-wide flood and erosion assessment study that would incorporate the Lowe River, Valdez Glacier Stream, and Mineral Creek via a Planning Assistance to States (PAS) study. They also recommend getting Valdez to the table on the National level, in line for a Continuing Authorities Program (CAP 205) project. The Corps Continuing Authorities Program is a group of nine legislative authorities under which the Corps of Engineers can plan, design, and implement certain types of water resource projects without additional project specific Congressional authorization.
While Federal flood risk management projects are designed to manage major flooding risks, the primary goal of the CAP 205 program is to reduce risk from flooding in smaller communities. Projects can include structural solutions such as channel enlargement, realignment, or paving; obstruction removal; levee and wall construction, bank stabilization and/or non-structural solutions such as flood warning systems.
To begin a CAP 205 project, the City must first formally request for the Corps to initiate a preliminary assessment. The preliminary assessment is 100 percent federally funded. The preliminary assessment, which usually takes about six months to complete, will determine whether there is Federal interest in the study area. If so, the Corps will move forward with a feasibility study and development of the project, the process for which can take 2-5 years. Generally, the City will be responsible for funding the feasibility study unless the feasibility study cost exceeds $100,000; at which point the Corps and sponsor (the City) would sign a Feasibility Cost Share Agreement and project management plan that would describe the study cost share arrangement and study cost estimate.
If the detailed feasibility study determines it is technically feasible, environmentally acceptable, and cost effective, the Corps and sponsor negotiate and sign a Project Partnership Agreement. The design and construction costs are shared at 65% federal funding and 35% sponsor funding.
The Mayors Flood Task Force met on January 23rd to discuss the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District recommendations for the City of Valdez. It is the recommendation of the Mayors Flood Task Force to approve the assistance letter providing a written request to the U.S. Army Corps to initiate a preliminary analysis, at federal expense, to determine if a potential program meets the CAP 205 program requirements.
Staff has attached a fact sheet to provide more detail on the Continuing Authorities Program Section 205 - Small Flood Damage Reduction Projects.
Please note, entering into this program is one of many concurrent flood mitigation options being used. City Administration and the Flood Task Force will still be moving forward as expeditiously as possible with known projects this year and beyond. This is an opportunity to obtain federal funding for a full assessment of flood issues in Valdez.