Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana
Annual Meeting
December 3, 2015
Christopher Knotts, P.E.
Public Works & Water Resources
• Departmental Overview
– Responsibilities
– Funding
– Accomplishments
• Public Works & Water Resources
– Statewide Flood Control Program
– Levee Safety Program (non-coastal districts)
– Ongoing Federal Projects
– Dam Safety Program
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Safety Initiatives
Improving Roadway Safety
DOTD Safety Initiatives
• Public Safety is DOTD’s #1 priority
• Overall reduction in fatal crashes since 2007
Recent initiatives include:
» Destination Zero Deaths
» Cable Barriers
» Roundabouts
» Enhanced Mile Markers
» ITS Traffic Cameras and Signs
Public Works & Water Resources
- Statewide Flood Control Program
- Levee Safety Program (non-coastal districts)
- Ongoing Federal Projects
- Dam Safety Program
Statewide Flood Control Program
Overview
• Primary goal to reduce existing flood damages by considering both
structural and non-structural solutions
• Funded by Transportation Trust Fund
• $8.9M funding last two years ($9.9M average in prior years)
• Applicants can be:
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Parish Governments
Municipal Governments
Levee Boards
Drainage Districts
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Statewide Flood Control Program
Funding
• 90% of the construction cost for non-federal projects
• 70% of the local sponsor’s non-federal share for federal projects
• Local sponsor pays for engineering, R/W, utilities, etc.
Eligibility
• Equitable distribution of funds statewide
» (55% invested in rural areas, 45% invested in urban areas)
• All
levels of local government from the largest parishes and cities
down to the smallest towns and villages can successfully compete.
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Levee Safety Program
Inspections
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Assist Levee Districts with the Quarterly and Semi-Annual Inspections
Provide Semi-Annual Inspection Reports
Provide Recommendations/Options for Corrective Actions
Inventory/Mapping
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Inventory Levee Assets
Develop GIS Maps
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Levee Safety Program
Permits
• Review permit applications
• Provide Letters of Response to appropriate Levee District
•
» Non-coastal (DOTD)
» Coastal (CPRA)
Ensure compliance with engineering standards
Engineering Support
• Set-back Design
• Drainage Design
• Cost Estimates
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Mississippi River Levee Raising Project
Purpose – Flood Prevention
• 200 miles of mainline Miss. River levee construction in NE LA
• Raising 3 to 4 feet above project flow line
Responsibilities:
• Fifth Louisiana Levee District & DOTD: LERRDs (Right-of-Way)
• USACE-Vicksburg District: Design and Construction
Expenditures to date:
• Federal: $127 million
• Non-Federal Sponsor: $9.8 million
Comite River Diversion Canal
Purpose – Flood Prevention/Reduction
• Comite River Basin
• Lower Amite River Basin
Federal Sponsor: USACE – New Orleans District
• Design
• Construction
Non-Federal Sponsors:
DOTD: Lands, Easements, Rights of Way, Relocations & Disposals (LERRDs)
Amite River Basin Commission: Floodplain Management
East Baton Rouge City-Parish DPW: Operations and Maintenance
Comite River Diversion Canal
Features
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12 miles of channel
4 drop structures
Diversion structure
Stage control structure (Lilly Bayou)
Bridges at 4 highways (U.S. 61, LA 964, LA 19, and LA 67)
2 railroad bridges (CN and KCS)
Current Cost Estimate
• $ 199 million
Expenditures to Date
• Federal: $ 74.4 million
• Non-Federal: $22.1 million
Dam Safety Program
• Created by Act 733 of the 1981 Regular Legislative Session
• Responsibilities are to:
» Define & enforce Minimum Standards
» Maintain the State Dam Safety Inventory
» Ensure that all dams are inspected per guidelines
Dam Safety Program
• Applicable to all dams or impoundment structures…any artificial
barrier which will impound or divert water or any liquid and is:
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25+ ft. height
Has a maximum storage of 15 acre-feet or greater
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Min. 6 ft. height
Has a maximum storage of 50 acre-feet or greater
OR
Dam Safety Program
Define and enforce
minimum standards for:
•Design
•Construction
•Modification
•Operation & Maintenance
Ivan Lake Dam – Bossier Parish
Dam Safety Program
Operation & Maintenance
• Acoustic Surveys
• Surface Inspections
• Underwater Inspections
• Operation of gates
• Emergency Action Plans
Grand Bayou Reservoir – Red River Parish
Dam Safety Inventory
516 Regulated Dams
(November, 2014)
• 40 High Impact
• 50 Significant Impact
• 426 Low Impact
Vernon Lake Dam – Vernon Parish
)
Consequences Of Dam Failure
• U.S. dam failures in the last 50 years
» 400+ fatalities
» Billions in property damage
• Most of the 20 State maintained dams are old (50+ years) and a
number are in critical need of repair.
» Turkey Creek Dam (Franklin Parish)
» Bundick Lake (Beauregard Parish)
» Iatt Lake Dam (Bossier Parish)
• South Carolina dam failures (October, 2015 )
» 36 Dams failures, 7 Class 1 dams and 20 Class 2 dams and an additional
167 dams were damaged.
» After assessments were completed 75 emergency repair orders and 24
notices of violations were issued to non responsive owners.
Questions?
Christopher P. Knotts, P.E.
Chief, Public Works & Water Resources
P. O. Box 94245
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245
chris.knotts@la.gov
225-379-3000