U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District Overview

Transcription

1 U. S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District Overview Diane C. Perkins, AICP Charleston District Chief, Planning & Environmental Branch US Army Corps of Engineers

2 General George Washington established the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on June 16, 1775

3 Civil Works Program Missions Lock and Dam 15 ( Mississippi River ) Flood Wall ( Williamson, KY ) Navigation Hydropower Flood Risk Management Ecosystem Restoration Water Supply Regulatory (Wetlands / US Waters) Recreation Disaster Preparedness & Response Dredge ESSAYONS ( Coos Bay, OR ) Lake Seminole ( Mobile District ) Everglades Bonneville II Powerhouse ( Washington ) 3

4 USACE Value to the Nation 627 Shallow Draft Harbors 400 miles Coastal Structures ¼ of Nation s Hydropower Production 4340 Recreation Areas 383 Major Lakes & Reservoirs 376 M Visitors/yr 11,000 miles Inland Waterways 8500 Miles of Levees 276 Locks 299 Deep Draft Harbors $500M Annual Dredging Costs Emergency Operations 11.7 Million Acres Public Lands Environmental Stewardship US Ports & Waterways convey > 2B Tons Commerce Foreign Trade alone Creates > $160B Tax Revenues Cumulative Flood Damage Prevention >$419B

5 USACE Divisions and Districts San Francisco Portland Seattle Sacramento Walla Walla South Pacific Division Northwestern Division Omaha St. Paul Kansas City Rock Island St. Louis Great Lakes & Ohio River Division Detroit Buffalo Chicago Pittsburgh Cincinnati Huntington Louisville North Atlantic Division New York Philadelphia Baltimore Norfolk New England Alaska Los Angeles Honolulu Pacific Ocean Division 2 Engineer Commands 9 Divisions 45 Districts 2 Centers ERDC Albuquerque Tulsa Southwestern Division Dallas Ft. Worth Little Rock Galveston Vicksburg Memphis Nashville Mobile New Orleans Mississippi Valley Division Atlanta Charleston Savannah Jacksonville Wilmington South Atlantic Division 5

6 Charleston District Offices and Boundaries Fort Jackson Construction Resident Office Columbia St. Stephen s Conway Regulatory Permitting Office Aiken CASA Surveying Office Dam/Power Plant Charleston District HQ Savannah District Administers all Civil Works Projects in the Savannah River Watershed 6

7 A couple reasons why people want to partner with the Corps They are seeking Federal cost sharing in constructing a project They are seeking technical expertise from a public organization with National reach

8 Seeking Federal cost sharing in constructing a project If it a project seeks Federal cost sharing in construction, then a study needs to prove that the project is vital to national interest CAP = Recon, Feasibility, Design & Construction; GI = Feasibility, Design, Construction Looking at the best combination of measures to identify a recommended plan Will plan to avoid or minimize significant negative environmental or cultural impacts

9 Seeking technical expertise from public org w National reach Because we are not seeking Federal interest to construct With the following study types there is a lot of flexibility regarding the scope and methods, so long as they fall w/in the broad guidelines of the given program. PAS FPMS Watershed Study

10 Letter of Interest a) on letterhead, signed, and dated. b) with specifics as to: what will be studied, what program and authority is involved, and express understanding of non-federal sponsor requirements (e.g. cost sharing).

11 Charleston District - Building Strong! Questions?

12 SMART Planning Focuses on incremental decision making in the 6-step planning process. 6 Steps Identifies risks & uncertainties in the next decision Only collect data needed Make decision and move on to next decision Incorporates quality engineering, economics, real estate and environmental analysis Fully compliant with environmental law Includes public involvement 3x3x3 Rule: $3M 3 years 3 levels of vertical teaming 100 page main reports (w/ appendices 3 binder)

13 Planning Process 1 2 3, 4, 5 6 Problem Identification Inventory and Forecast Conditions Formulate, Evaluate, Compare Alternative Plans Select Recommended Plan Problems Opportunities Goals Objectives Constraints Data Collection Define Existing Conditions Forecast Future Without Project Conditions Formulate Alternative Plans Perform Benefit/Cost Analysis Environmental, Socio-Economic, and Engineering Considerations Construction Methodology Selection Rationale District QA/QC Agency Technical Review Alternative Formulation Briefing Draft Report Independent External Peer Review Final Report

14 Getting Started Risk register identify risks in conducting the study, focus on high risk items Use a plan formulation strategy to streamline screening Decision Management Plan Vertical team involvement General schedule - 6 months for scoping, 18 months for study, 12 months for review

15 Questions to Consider During Scoping What existing data is available? Exhaust all sources - sponsor, state, universities, agencies, NGOs. What is the question you want to answer? What would be the result of taking a conservative assumption instead of data collection and modeling? Is modeling required or is there an engineering calculation we could do instead? (How did we do it before the model?) Can you model less alternatives? BUILDING STRONG