overview of the slfpa

The Mission, Organization and Nominations Process of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority

Presented at the 2012 Joint Engineering Society Conference

Overview of theSoutheast Louisiana Flood Protection

Authority

by J. Madison Drake PE CSP CQE F.NSPE

Louisiana Engineering Society representative to the SLFPA Nominating Committee

Objectives of Presentation

1. To convey the urgency and importance of

coordinated coastal protection planning,

project development and execution

2. Familiarize attendees with the selection

process of the Southeast Louisiana Flood

Protection Authority (SLFPA)

3. Encourage local engineers to serve on the

flood protection boards and participate in the

coastal planning and restoration process

1/16/2012Overview of the SLFPA2

Agenda

Flood Threats to Louisiana

Mississippi River Flooding

Severe Weather

Flood Protection Response

Levee Reform Legislation

Mission, Organization and Nomination

process of SLFPA

The Challenge of going forward


Mississippi River



Mississippi River Floods

19th Century Engineers- Struggled to

Control the Mississippi River


General Andrew

Humphreys

James Buchanan Eads

Charles Ellet, Jr.

Control of the River

Levee‟s Only Policy Pursued by Gen Humphreys and the early Corps of

Engineers prevalent in 1800s until proved inadequate in the Great Flood of 1927

Based on early hydraulic research performed in 1700s by European Engineer Guglielmini:

The theory held that confining a river to a channel increases its velocity and ability to carry more sediment, which in turn scours out the river bed making it deeper and therefore capable of carrying more water

By 1927 levees were built as high as 38 feet (12 meters)-the height of a four story building

Numerous levee‟s failed some with the power of a bursting dam destroying everything within its path


Great Flood of 1927


The Mississippi and its swollen tributaries reached peak levels in April

1927 with flow rates estimated to be 2,500,000 cfs (71k m3/s) and

overflowing its banks. Levees failed in 145 locations sending a walls of

water across Midwestern farmlands up to 40 miles wide. The flood

covered 27,000 miles2, (70,000 km2) destroyed 137,000 buildings, cost

$347 million ($25.3 billion in 2010 dollars). The water remained above

flood stage for 2 months, displacing 700,000 people from their homes.

Three Basic Methods to Lower Flood Levels


Reservoirs on Tributaries Allows water to spread out into large land/lake areas

Cut lines thru “S” Curves

Straighten the river and increase its velocity “speeding the flood to the sea”

Outlets and Spillways Divides flow into separate paths providing more capacity

Spillways were proposed at Lake Ponchartrain and Lake Borne as early as 1816

Recommended by Charles Ellet in his studies of the river published in October 1851

Currently there are three primary outlets in the Lower Mississippi

River Control Outlets- Lower Mississippi

Old River Control Structure Permanent structure diverts ~30% of River‟s flow down the

Atchafalaya river and ~70% down the Mississippi River

Built in stages from 1831 to early 1990s

Morganza Spillway Redirects flow to the Atchafalaya Basin

Completed in 1954

Designed for 600k cfs (17,000 m3/s)

Protections Baton Rouge and below

Bonnet Carre Spillway Diverts River to Lake Ponchartrain

Completed in 1931 to protect city of

New Orleans and communities below

Designed for 250k cfs (7,080 m3/s)


Mississippi River Flooding, Spring 2011

The Bonnet Carre Spillway was opened for the first time in 11

years. 160 bays were opened for 31 days

The River had the highest flow rates in the modern era (post

1930), above 1,600,000 cfs at the Tarbert Landing in May 2011

Red River Landing crested at 60.7 feet (18.5m) on April 24

Areas along the Mississippi experiencing flooding included

Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas,

Mississippi, and Louisiana

Estimated economic losses range from $3 – $4 billion


Persistent rainfall (nearly 300 % normal

amounts in the Ohio Valley) and melting

snowpack caused historical flooding

For the first time in 38 years, the Morganza

Spillway was opened, flooding 4,600 square

miles (12,000 km2) of rural LA

Comparison of 1927 to 2011 Floods


Mississippi River System-

Flood Design Flow Rates


Old River Control Structures


Features include Hydro Electric Plant,

Outfall Channel, Auxiliary Channel,

River Navigation Lock and old River

dam

Geomorphology of the Old River Control


Morganza Spillway


Completed in 1954 and

first opened in 1973, the

Morganza Spillway‟s was

opened on May 14, 2011

with diversion of 125,000

cfs (3,500 m3/s) of water

from the Mississippi River

to the Atchafalaya Basin,

21% of its capacity. All

bays were closed by July

7, 2011.

May 2011 Flood Levels- Worst Case


Bonnet Carre Spillway Completed 1931


2011 Mississippi River Flow Rates


The River at

New Orleans- May 2011


Bonnet Carre Spillway May 2011


Severe Weather Threats to Louisiana

Hurricanes

Tropical Storm Surges

High Winds & Torrential

Rains

Sea Level Rise & Land Loss


Hurricanes- 25 or More Deaths1851-2010


Population Density South LA- 2000 Census


Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation- Multiple Lines

of Defense (MLOD) Strategy for Sustainable Coast


There are 11 Lines of Defense: 5 natural and 6 manmade

Comprehensive Evaluation of Projects

based on MLOD strategy


Governmental and Political Reform


In the aftermath of Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers upgraded and armored the levees, however,

discredited local entities were still responsible for maintenance

The Citizen’s for One Greater New Orleans focused on the

balkanized New Orleans area levee system, which were under

the jurisdiction of no fewer than eight separate levee boards

Politicized levee board members had expanded their authority

far beyond inspection and maintenance of floodwalls

The multitasking Orleans Levee Board managed casinos,

developed real estate, owned a lakefront airport, two marinas,

and employed a separate security force

Journal of American History, 94 (Dec. 2007), 780–88The Post-Katrina, Semi-Separate World of Gender Politics by Pamela Tyler

Levee Board Consolidation


Then- State Senator Walter Boasso from

St. Bernard Parish, the New Orleans

Business Council, and the Citizens for One Greater

New Orleans combined their efforts to craft new

“Authority” legislation

The outcome was nothing short of amazing. A majority in

the legislature voted to present to the state electorate

measures that would consolidate the levee boards

In Sep 2006, 81% of the voters statewide approved a

constitutional amendment for levee board consolidation,

while an enthusiastic 97% of Orleans Parish voters

agreed.

Journal of American History - continued

Post Katrina Levee Board Reform Legislation

Objectives of Governor Blanco’s letter dated Dec 10, 2005

1. To demand that focus be on flood related duties

2. To remove opportunities for patronage3. To create regional levee protection4. To provide constitutional protection

for the new reforms

“Provided further, That none of the $12,000,0000 provided for theLouisiana Hurricane Protection [and subsequent authorizations] shall beexpended until the State establishes a single state entity to act as a localsponsor for construction, operation, and maintenance of all of thehurricane, storm damage reduction, and flood control projects…”

LA Appropriations Conference Report – Dec 2005


The LA Legislative Solution

And under the CPRA the Legislation created the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority

(SLFPA) to affect levee board consolidation:

SLFPA – East

SLFPA – West Bank

Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority was established to be the Single State Entity


Act 1 of the 2006 First Extraordinary Session created the two flood

protections boards, LA Constitutional Amendment #3 and legislation

Act 43 is also significant parts of the levee reform legislation. (R.S.

38:330.1)

http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=366193





The People

Governor Louisiana Legislature

CPRA

SLFPA East

SLFPA

West

Bank

Plaquemines

Parish

Government

Grand Isle

Independent

District

South

Lafourche

Levee

District

Lafourche

Basin

Levee

District

North

Lafourche

Levee

District

Pontchartrain

Levee District

Atchafalaya

Basin Levee

District

Terrebonne

Levee &

Conservation

District

St. Mary

Parish

Government

Southwestern

Louisiana - TBD

Cameron,

Vermilion, & Iberia


State Government Organizations-

CPRA and SLFPA

Hurricane Protection Coastal Restoration

Community Development Block Grant

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

Single Responsible State Entity for Coastal Protection and Restoration

Overview of the SLFPA 1/16/201232

2012 Draft Master Plan


Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection

Authority Boards


SLFPA-W SLFPA-E

7 Commissioners

First Convened Feb 2007

9 Commissioners

First Convened Jan 2007Staggered 4 Year Terms

Two Term Limitation

The Flood Authorities were established using the 'good governance„ model.

Members are appointed by a “Qualification Based Process” and receive no

compensated for their service. Members reside in each of the represented

Parishes or At-Large. These restrictions and others produce a truly regional board

largely free of political pressure

US Army Corps of Engineers- Hurricane and Storm

Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS)


SLFPA – East:Public Affairs Research Council (PAR)

Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL)

Louisiana Geological Survey- LSU

Assoc of State Floodplain Managers

National Society of Black Engineers

UNO - College of Engineering

Tulane - School of Science &

Engineering

SU – College of Engineering

LSU – College of Engineering

American Society of Civil Engineers

Louisiana Engineering Society

Nominating

Committee

Submit Nominations to the

Governor for Appointment(2 Nominees for professional appointment)

Senate Confirmation

SLFPA – West Bank:In addition to all of the above

Harvey Canal Industrial Association

Our Lady of Holy Cross College


SLFPA Nomination Process

Residency and Professional

QualificationsWest Bank Board- 7 Members

East Bank Board- 9

members


Residency Requirements 2 members West Jefferson

2 members West Orleans

3 members outside these parishes

Professional Qualifications 3 members shall be either an engineer or

a professional in a related fields of geotechnical, hydrological, or environmental science. At least 1of these 3 members shall be a civil engineer

3 members shall be a professional in a discipline other than those identified above, shall at a minimum hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with at least ten years of professional experience in that discipline

And 1 member shall possess the qualifications set forth in either of these categories

Residency Requirements 1and only 1 member from each

parish: Jefferson, Orleans, St

Bernard, St Tammy, and

Tangipahoa

4 members outside these parishes

Professional Qualifications 5 shall be either an engineer or a

professional in a related field such as geotechnical, hydrological or environmental science. At least 1 of these 5 members shall be a civil engineer

2 members shall be a professional in a discipline other than listed previously with at least 10 years of professional experience and

2 members will be at-large


1. Vacancies are announced publicly by the Secretary of State

2. Applicants are received and forwarded to the nominating

committee

3. The committee votes to nominate a person(s) to a position on

the board using a “qualification based process”

4. The nominee(s) is submitted to the Governor for Appointment

5. The Senate confirms the Appointment• Application forms and listing of the current board members is maintained

on the Louisiana Secretary of State Website:

http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/

• State employees cannot serve on either board due to potential conflict of

interest

• As trustee and fiduciary of all public interests before the Authority, Board

members are subject to the Code of Governmental Ethics of Louisiana

Qualification Based Selection Process

http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/

http://wwwprd.doa.louisiana.gov/LaServices/PublicPages/ServiceDetail.cfm?service_id=2571

Civil Engineer Position on SLFPA-W

The West Bank Board has an immediate opening for

a CE to join the Technical, Maintenance and

Operations Committee

This non-voting committee position will contribute to

the Boards work and has been authorized in the

Board‟s by-laws

Opportunity to become familiar with the Board‟s work

which could lead to future application to a full

Commissioner's position.


The Challenge Going Forward


Projected Sea Level Rise


Roberts (2009), Drowning of the Mississippi Delta Due to Insufficient Sediment and Global Sea-level Rise, Nat. Geoscience, 2, 488–491.

Projected Land Loss

Overview of the SLFPA 1/16/2012

Summary of Topics

Flood Threats to Louisiana

Mississippi River

Severe Weather

Flood Protection Response

Levee Reform Legislation

Mission, Organization and

Nomination process of SLFPA

The Challenge Going Forward


Questions and Comments


overview of the slfpa

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