1. REFERENCE:

Management and Procedures For Evaluation and Review of Levee and Associated Restoration Projects.

Reports on the Status of Levee Repair and Associated Restoration.

2. PURPOSE: To provide an updated monthly status report for the month of April on agency activities related to levee repairs and non-structural alternatives as required by the above references.

3. BACKGROUND: In mid-December 1996, government meteorologists

identified a series of storm systems coming from the South Pacific Ocean into the state of California known as the "Pineapple Express". The storm systems are so named because of their relative position when passing north of the Hawaiian Islands after developing off the coast of Borneo. The express was a supersaturated warm storm system that had caused major flooding problems in the U.S. mainland areas before. The unusually warm South Pacific waters that spawned the storm system almost always ran in series. Within 48-hours of the first storm missing California, not just one, but several storms suddenly appeared lined up on a fast-track to hit the California area. The "Pineapple Express" hammered Northern California with more than half the rain it would receive in a normal year.

In Northern California, existing conditions that included an unusually heavy snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains also heightened fears that subtropical rainfall would melt the snow and add to the runoff. No one expected the one-two punch of record snowfall and record rain. The storm systems dumped two months of rain in 16 days and severely tested the flood control systems.

This month's report uses the revised format requested by OMB and has an expanded discussion of the background that will not appear in future reports.

4. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ACTIONS TAKEN: In response to the

flooding situation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assisted State and local

authorities in flood fighting while coordinating with other Federal and State agencies on operations of reservoirs to minimize the downstream effects as much as possible. Soon after the December-January floods, the San Francisco

and Sacramento District offices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a Public Notice for levee rehabilitation assistance under the PL 84-99 program. Numerous requests for assistance were received over the last several months. The Public Notice process was extended until May 10, 1997. The District offices are currently conducting field investigations and working on Project Information Reports (PIR’s). Each PIR will address the costs, benefits, environmental assessments, etc. The PIR’s evaluate structural repair of the levee as well as non-structural alternatives.

During the period between the time of the public notice and the floodwaters receding, the districts implemented an interim flood protection plan. The plan provided flood protection for the remainder of the flood season by maximizing the use of reservoirs and completing initial levee rehabilitation. This phase provided for the closing of all breaches with levees rehabilitated to approximately a 25-year level of protection. In the final restoration phase, currently ongoing, the district will restore a structure’s flood protection to a pre-flood level and return the structure to its pre-flood condition if a non-structural alternative is not identified or agreed upon by the sponsor and the lead agency. The goal in this phase is to complete the levee rehabilitation projects before the next flood season beginning November 1, 1997.

The Corps is proceeding with the funded Sacramento River Watershed Reconnaissance Study and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Special Study. Congress is considering supplemental appropriations for FY97, to possibly include funding for comprehensive basin studies. The California Water Commission has recommended funding to proceed with an $8 million Sacramento Basin Study and a $9 million San Joaquin River Basin Study. As part of the Sacramento River Watershed Reconnaissance effort, the scope of a cost shared feasibility study is being discussed with the California Department of Water Resources and the California Reclamation Board staff, with a preliminary estimate of around $8 million. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue with the Sacramento River Watershed and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta studies, and is prepared to proceed with comprehensive studies of the San Joaquin River Basin when funded.

5. OUTREACH: Before the Corps performs a PIR, a site visit is held with the

local flood control sponsor and other agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife

Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, State Fish and Game Agency and other appropriate agencies to investigate the damages and discuss the repairs or potential for a non-structural solution to the damaged levee. The Districts have also hired an Architectural Engineer to assist them in identifying non-

structural solutions. The contractor is tasked with conducting a public outreach program. For those projects for which a non-structural solution is a possibility, meetings are conducted first with the potential land owners involved. These meetings are initially coordinated with the staff of the Congressional District for which the project lies and is generally hosted by the Congressional District staff. If the non-structural solution is endorsed by the land owners in the responsible reclamation district, then a series of follow up meetings are conducted in a public forum.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with other Federal agencies has participated in the California Governor’s Flood Emergency Action Team meetings throughout Northern California. These meetings conducted with State and local agencies have included discussions of potential non-structural alternatives. The meetings have been open to the public and have included television news coverage.

6. BARRIERS TO NON-STRUCTURAL ALTERNATIVES: The primary barrier in implementing the NSA program is landowners not wanting to sell their land and the time and effort needed to finalize the deal. It is a complex process. Several non-structural alternatives are attainable, but it is a lengthy process and may take several months beyond the November 1997 time period to complete. Actions taken to overcome these barriers are to work hand in hand with the other agencies. The ITF is identifying strong candidates for this program and is concentrating on completing those projects in the short term. In the long term, which will be over the next several years or more, the Corps, CALFED, DWR and the other key Federal agencies will work together to fully consider relevant options regarding NSAs.

7. FUNDING: Funds in the amount of $63,857,000 have been allocated as of the end of April 1997 for flood fighting and levee repair by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A supplemental appropriation for the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies in the amount of $415,000,000 is before Congress.

8. PERSONNEL: There are 93 personnel working on the levee repair and associated restoration effort. There are 87 at the District level, 5 on the ITF Staff and Colonel David E. Peixotto, the ITF Chair at the Division level.

9. INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE EFFORT: In an effort to improve Federal flood response and floodplain management in the future, the Clinton Administration challenged Federal agencies to look at non-structural alternatives instead of structural repairs to levee systems. Thus, the Office of Management and Budget in coordination with the Council on Environmental Quality designated the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as the lead Federal agency to facilitate this effort. The Corps convened an Interagency Task Force on 3 March 1997 to review floodplain management and procedures for evaluation and review of levee and associated restoration projects. Other members of the task force include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior which includes the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Agriculture -- Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Small Business Administration, the Department of Commerce -- National Marine Fisheries Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation. State participants include the California Resources Agency, the Department of Water Resources and individuals from the CALFED program.

Our March 3 meeting was very successful with fourteen Federal and State agencies participating. All agencies agreed to work cooperatively to seek non-structural solutions while insuring the repair of damaged flood protection systems. Recovery activities will minimize risk to life and property, while providing a cost-effective approach to flood damage mitigation and floodplain management. In addition, one key goal is the protection of important environmental and natural resource values. A formal ITF meeting, conducted on April 1 at the DFO, Mather Field, provided the agencies with updated information relative to the non-structural alternative process. Agency reports consisted of USACE, FEMA, EPA, BOR, FWS, and NRCS. CALFED and DWR provided briefings relative to the NSA process. The Sacramento District, Corps of Engineers discussed in detail two projects that the Corps is currently working on which have the greatest potential for non-structural solutions. OMB, DOI and USACE personnel from the Washington DC level participated in the meeting via teleconference. Several issues highlighted by the Washington officials dealt with

how to address the private levees damaged as well as compensation for lands. A creative method for compensation is a reality. We briefed the agencies that they must become involved early in the process, at the field investigation level if

we are going to actively seek non-structural solutions. Numerous agencies concurred but some indicated the agencies were just not resourced to review 50 or so reports. They would rather concentrate on the areas for which there was the best opportunity to achieve a non-structural alternative. Several working meetings, to include a meeting in Modesto on April 3 and 28, with

potential land owners to discuss a proposal for non-structural solutions along the lower San Jaoquin River were held. Agencies within the ITF structure are currently reviewing initial reports and working together closely with Federal and State environmental agencies and local officials as well as the CALFED program and the Governor’s Flood Emergency Action Team. While the main focus for non-structural alternatives will be on the Consumnes and lower San Jaoquin Rivers, the ITF is exploring other sites for potential non-structural solutions. The California Department of Water Resources has briefed the ITF on several alternatives to be included in the Governor’s 120-Day report.

The U.S. Army Corps Engineers has established an Interagency Task Force staff at the FEMA Disaster Field Office (DFO) located at Mather Field to facilitate activities with the various Federal and State agencies. Over the last month, the ITF staff has facilitated meetings with the ITF membership relating to the working process of the NSA initiative as well as the GIS levee database effort. The ITF staff has also been actively attending the FEAT meetings and other public forums as appropriate. This ITF staff will remain in place as long as the DFO is operational.

The ITF staff briefed the ITF process to the CALFED Management Team on April 25, 1997. The ITF staff is coordinating with CALFED on potential NSAs for the upcoming CALFED meeting on May 13, 1997.

10. PROJECT REPORT INFORMATION: There have been two levee project reports finalized and both of these evaluated a non-structural alternative. One report was for the Sutter Bypass project in Sutter County. Three possible alternatives were considered as follows: 1) No Action, 2) A ring levee around the city of Meridian, purchase of flowage easements and property and abandonment of existing levee. This action would increase natural habitat and decrease existing levee maintenance. However, the total cost would be prohibitive and the NSA was not locally supported, 3) Therefore, the final proposal to repair the levee to its’ pre-disaster condition was selected as the appropriate action. The other completed project is on the Feather River and the project will be restored to pre-flood condition. Though these first two projects selected a structural solution, the ITF is continuing the process of evaluating all projects for potential non-structural alternatives.

There have not been any final reports evaluated and deferred to Phase IV for a NSA.

Since the initial ITF report, nineteen reports have now been circulated to other members of the ITF for review and comment. There is approximately a 50% participation rate from the ITF membership for these reviews. Those agencies actively participating other than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are FEMA, BOR, FWS, NRCS, CALFED and DWR. We have not received comments from EPA, FWS, USGS, BLM, and NMFS. The FWS has been a very active member in the overall process and in coordinating with the Sacramento District. Comment sheets for each report are enclosed.

11. SUMMARY: The ITF provides a forum for those agencies motivated to participate in finding NSAs. There are three likely successful NSAs being developed (Consumnes River and two on the San Jaoquin). The ITF’s processes, that are now well developed, depend on agency involvement to be effective. We are reaching out to the local citizens, landowners and the levee districts in an effort to promote NSAs but find little interest. The major gains in NSAs will come from the long range efforts and the ITF setting the stage through some successful NSAs, increased public knowledge, and helping establish a favorable mindset. Overall, the ITF process is working well.

 (Signed)

Enclosure DAVID E. PEIXOTTO

COLONEL, U.S. ARMY

INTERAGENCY TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN