An Analysis of Water Resources Development Act of 2013: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly April 18, :00 – 3:30 p.m. EDT

Speakers: Moderator: o Claudia Emken, Mississippi River Network Mark Davis, Tulane Center for the Environment Olivia Dorothy, Izaak Walton League of America Eileen Fretz, American Rivers Melissa Samet, National Wildlife Federation David Conrad, Water Protection Network

Mark Davis Tulane Center for the Environment

Upper Mississippi River Restoration – Environmental Management Program (UMRR – EMP) Upper Mississippi River Initiative Olivia Dorothy, Coordinator

UMR Initiative maintains League’s leadership role and keeps faith with our past. The UMR has been intertwined with IWLA from the beginning.

1. What is UMRR-EMP? 2. Geographic Expansion 3. Appropriations

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER RESTORATION

Established to reverse the ecological impacts of locks and dams Upper Mississippi River Restoration – Environmental Management Program

100,000 acres restored Over 50 habitat projects

One-third of the funding goes Supports Long- Term Research and Monitoring

GEOGRAPHIC EXPANSION

1.Tributaries significant source of sediment 2.Bluff are important habitat for riparian species like bald eagles Current UMRR - EMP

WRDA Recommendations Amend UMRR-EMP (Section 1135 of WRDA 1986) – Expand the authority to complete restoration projects to bluffs and tributaries

APPROPRIATIONS

Appropriations Committee Recommendations Fully fund successful UMRR-EMP – $33.18 million annually

Olivia Dorothy Regional Conservation Coordinator Upper Mississippi River Initiative

Eileen Fretz American Rivers

WRDA 2013 Levee Safety Program

National Levee Safety Program 2005: Hurricane Katrina 2007: Congress creates the National Committee on Levee Safety in WRDA : Committee releases National Levee Safety Report

National Levee Safety Program What We Recommended: 1)National Flood Risk Management, NOT just Levee Safety 2)Equal Funding For Nonstructural Approaches 3)Address Residual Risk 4)Modernize Emergency Levee Repairs

National Levee Safety Program -National Levee Database -Inventory and Inspection of levees -National Levee Safety Guidelines -Hazard classification system -Research and Development -Public Education- esp. residual risk areas -Coordination of levee, floodplain management and environmental protection -State and Tribal programs -Technical Assistance Also -Levee Safety Advisory Board -Levee Rehabilitation Assistance Program S. 601 creates a National Levee Safety Program

National Levee Safety Program Recommendation #1: Flood Risk, not Levees -Not adopted -Levee only focus originated in WRDA Program focus is on already leveed areas BUT -Broader flood risk included -Opportunities for improving

National Levee Safety Program Recommendation #2: Funding for Nonstructural - Adopted - Grants cover “flood mitigation activities that result in an overall reduction in flood risk”. - Rehabilitation includes repair, replacement, reconstruction, or removal of a levee BUT - No guarantee to consider or use nonstructural alternatives

National Levee Safety Program Recommendation #3: Address Residual Risk - Somewhat adopted - National Public Education Program focuses on residual risk areas - State programs have to communicate residual risk BUT - Should require short and long term residual risk reduction plans - Encourage Insurance

National Levee Safety Program -Activity for NLSP -Board has a Standing Committee on Safety and Environment -Report with recommendations -language is vague, will need direction from environmental and river experts Opportunity! Coordinating Levee Safety and the Environment

Emergency Levee Repairs Recommendation #4: Emergency Response to Natural Disasters -Allows modifications to address deficiencies and report on spending over past 5 years. BUT -Only applies to hurricane and shore, “design level” may lead to bigger levees -5 years won’t show repetitive failures -Fails to eliminate bias against nonstructural

Eileen Fretz American Rivers

Melissa Samet National Wildlife Federation

Section 2032 – Study Acceleration 3 years and $3 million Feasibility Study and Environmental Impact Statement

Section 2033 – Project Acceleration Transfers Control Over All Environmental Reviews to the Corps Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Coastal Zone Management Act Promotes Cursory Reviews and Uninformed Decisions Programmatic Reviews, Shortest Applicable Process Combined with 3 year deadline of 2032 Pressures Resource Agencies to Say Yes Arbitrary Deadlines, Excessive Paperwork, Inspector General Investigations Multiple Elevations up to the President Fines Against Resource Agencies up to $20,000 a Week

Could Not Have Stopped the Yazoo Pumps 200,000 Acres of Wetlands and $220 Million Taxpayer Dollars

Priority Reforms Use nonstructural and restoration measures where they provide an appropriate level of protection and benefits Update operating plans and water control manuals for Corps projects at least every 10 years and implement needed operational changes Require mitigation consistent with recommendations made pursuant to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

Melissa Samet National Wildlife Federation

David Conrad Water Protection Network

Questions? Please visit our websites for more info: This webinar will be available at: 13/