FEMA s Mitigation Support for Resiliency: Innovative Drought and Flood Mitigation Projects

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1 FEMA s Mitigation Support for Resiliency: Innovative Drought and Flood Mitigation Projects Jordan Williams, CFM Eric Kenney, PE, CFM May 4, 2017

2 2 Hazard Mitigation Purpose: Research climate resilient project options and identify activities that provide risk reduction benefits for flood and drought Sustained action to reduce or eliminate Develop requirements and guidance document to inform FEMA mitigation planning and funding decisions Step 1: Summarized potential impacts of climate change and associated risk factors Flooding from storm severity, sea level rise, and tidal surge Changes in precipitation patterns Droughts Erosion long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. The only phase of emergency management specifically dedicated to breaking the cycle of damage, reconstruction, and repeated damage. Ecosystem and water quality impacts

3 3 FEMA s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Program HMA programs reduce community vulnerability to disasters and their effects, promote individual and community safety and resilience, and promote community vitality after an incident Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) Provides funds for hazard mitigation planning and projects on an annual basis. Available annually and nationally competitive Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Provides funds for flood hazard mitigation projects as well as plan development on an annual basis. Priority to Repetitive Flood Claims, Severe Repetitive Loss, and NFIP properties Available annually and nationally competitive Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Assists in implementing long-term hazard mitigation measures following a major disaster.

4 4 Common HMA Projects

5 Step-by-Step Development of Innovative Mitigation Activities Purpose: Research project options and identify activities that provide risk reduction benefits for flood and drought Develop requirements and guidance document to inform FEMA mitigation planning and funding decisions Step 1: Summarized potential impacts of hazards and risks Flooding from storm severity, sea level rise, and tidal surge Changes in precipitation patterns Droughts Erosion Ecosystem and water quality impacts 5

6 Source: Melillo et al., 2014; CDM Smith, 2010 Regional Impacts 6

7 Risk Factors by U.S. Region Source: Melillo et al.,

8 Regional Impacts Drought and increased warming foster wildfires and increased competition for scarce water resources for people and ecosystems 8

9 Regional Impacts Longer growing seasons and rising carbon dioxide levels increase yields of some crops although these benefits may have already been offset in some instances by occurrence of extreme events such as heat waves, droughts, and floods 9

10 Step-by-Step Development of Innovative Mitigation Activities (cont.) Step 2: Researched mitigation activities that reduce risk and address additional considerations related to: Water supply Water quality and ecosystem services/benefits Flood control Step 3: Screened initial list of project types from 70 to 14 in collaboration with FEMA Step 4: Evaluated project types on: Program eligibility Cost-effectiveness Technical Feasibility Environmental Compliance 10

11 Project Snapshot Guide Overview of implementation considerations, costs, and benefits Snapshot created for each project type 11

12 12 Summary of Project Snapshots

13 Step-by-Step Development of Innovative Mitigation Activities (cont.) Step 5: Recommended four innovative drought and flood mitigation projects for further study Aquifer Storage and Recovery Flood Diversion and Storage Floodplain and Stream Restoration Green Infrastructure High performance related to feasibility and cost effectiveness Meet programmatic funding requirements consistent with HMA guidance Address flooding and drought conditions Can provide additional water quality and ecosystem service benefits 13

14 Expanded Study of the Four Innovative Drought and Flood Mitigation Activities Identified timeframe, costs, benefits, and technical considerations for implementation Considered Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) requirements Listed federal agencies for potential coordination to leverage resources and funds Provided implementation success stories with project sizes up to $1M to $5M range Geographic diversity Ranges of scale and cost Implemented within a 3-year period of performance 14

15 Locations of Implementation Success Stories Note: Climate Regions as defined in the 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment (Melillo et al., 2014.) 15

16 Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Capture water when abundant, store in aquifer, and recover when needed (referred to as a cycle) Can supplement water supplies and mitigate effects of drought Additional benefits: flood reduction, water quality, wetland/springs enhancement Potential supply sources: Raw and finished groundwater Untreated, partially treated, and finished surface water Reclaimed water 16

17 ASR Well Operation - Injection Mixing Zone Mixing Zone WATER QUALITY (<250 mg/l Cl)

18 ASR Well Operation - Recovery Mixing Zone Mixing Zone WATER QUALITY (<250 mg/l Cl)

19 Source: Bloetscher et al Operational ASR Sites in the US City of Sanford, FL ASR Well 19

20 20 ASR BCA Tool

21 Flood Diversion and Storage Purpose To mitigate flood and erosion damage by reducing peak flows, stages, velocities, and floodplain area To mitigate drought impacts by providing water for municipal water supply, irrigation, or power Added Benefits Can be used to retain water to allow infiltration to ground water supplies. This allows for a controlled baseflow release and tempers peak flows, stages, and velocities to mitigate flooding. 21

22 Scales of Implementation Large, regional infrastructure approach Large diversion canals from major rivers Large storage areas (reservoirs, regional facilities, multigovernment) Not considered due to scale/cost constraints for this evaluation Medium-scale local approach Cities, counties, water management and irrigation districts, and communities Focus on diverting medium to smaller tributary systems Site-specific stormwater BMP approach Stormwater runoff diversion and storage in detention basins Allows groundwater infiltration and aquifer recharge on-site 22

23 Source: NOAA Potential Benefits of Flood Diversion and Storage Risk Reduction Benefits Flood risk reduction Attenuation of peak flows and velocities Redirected flood waters Expanded capacity Ecosystem Services Benefits Water and air quality Restoration of wetland and native habitat Iinfiltration to re-charge ground water supply. Fisher Slough Restoration Project, Skagit River Delta, Washington 23

24 Floodplain and Stream Restoration US has more than 3.5M miles of rivers and streams Streams and associated floodplains and wetlands provide flood control, economic, social, and environmental value Flood storage and conveyance Erosion and sedimentation control Water quality and habitats for fish and wildlife Recreation and tourism Alterations to streams and floodplains can lead to flooding, erosion, sedimentation, and stream and habitat degradation 24

25 Floodplain and Stream Restoration (cont.) Restoration is the re-establishment of the structure and function of floodplains, stream morphology, and ecosystems Stream and floodplain restoration design incorporates techniques from fluvial geomorphology, engineering, and stream ecology Longview Branch Stream Restoration, Raleigh, NC 25

26 Source: Economides Green Infrastructure (GI) GI is a sustainable development and re-development approach to natural landscape preservation and stormwater management On-site natural features integrated with engineered controls to re-establish pre-development conditions Used at a wide range of scales in place of, or in addition to, more traditional stormwater control elements 26

27 Green Infrastructure: Regional and Site-level Solutions Preservation/protection of flood control and environmentally sensitive features: Floodplains and floodways Riparian buffers Steep slope areas High recharge areas Green Street in Paso Robles, CA Benefits include: flood control, water quality, aquifer recharge, and public amenity

28 Benefits of Green Infrastructure Can be used at a wide range of scales to provide stormwater and flood management Many additional benefits including: Economic Benefits Environmental Benefits Social Benefits Gray infrastructure deferment/reduction Funding partnerships created Water quality regulation compliance Greenhouse gas emission reduction Urban revitalization Public amenities/green oasis creation Grant opportunities expanded Ecosystem habitat expansion Green jobs created Chemical and energy cost reduction for water and wastewater treatment Resiliency to extreme weather events Watershed improvements from reduced water supply exports Flood management Heat island impact reduction and improved public health Education and public support provided 28

29 Fact Sheets and Guidance 29

30 My 2-cents: How to make your application shine Focus on the flood control benefits and how your project is decreasing damages and increasing your communities resiliency Environmental benefits are important, but secondary The further developed your design, the better your chances Make sure you re meeting FEMA requirements Don t include extra information FEMA wants to fund these projects! 30

31 Additional Resources Communities encouraged to work with State Hazard Mitigation Office on identifying and developing projects Review Fact Sheets and Job Aids Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Programs 31

32 Questions?