Jon Keeling, PE, CFM
Carey Johnson, CFM
ASFPM 2012 Conference
May 22, 2012

What We’ll Talk About Today
• Overview of KDOW CTP Activities
• Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation
Program
– How it started
– What’s involved
– Automated Tools and Processes
– Review of Products
– FEMA Risk MAP Applications
• Q&A

• Consideration of Risk MAP into other watershed based initiatives (dam safety, non-point source,
TMDLs, etc.)
• Collected LIDAR in approximately 1/3 of state
• State lead agency for Silver Jackets
– Partner in 2 SJ pilot projects
• Involved in USGS FIMI projects
• Ongoing development of KY Risk Communication
Toolbox

KDOW Risk MAP Status??
• Add map with watersheds, projects completed to date?
• Watersheds account for approximately 55% of KY population

Collaboration Efforts
• KDOW Dam Safety partners with federal and state agencies
(NRCS, FEMA, KY Emergency Management):
– Resource sharing (natural disaster/emergency response)
– Provide staff to perform interagency permit reviews
– Data sharing (LiDAR, base mapping) to support dam safety studies
– Evaluation of prototype tools related to dam safety (beta tester -FEMA DS
GeoDamBREACH toolset)
– Evaluation and feedback on FEMA Risk Map Non-regulatory products
• Revised Dam Safety section of State Hazard Mitigation Plan
• Shift focus from regulatory-only to risk identification and reduction

Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation Program

Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation Program
• Purposes:
– To determine best practices to help quantify, communicate, and mitigate current risks associated with dams and help avoid future risks.
– Align products and processes to current Risk MAP non-regulatory initiatives
– To develop a prioritized list of dams to support
KDOW’s planning for rehabilitation, repair, or study needs
• Starting Point - Subset of 197 dams
– Dams are owned by state, local governments or NRCS

Initial Set of Dams in Program

Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation Program
Ongoing program involves:
• Data Collection
• Rapid Inundation Mapping
• Field Reconnaissance
• Preliminary Risk Screening
• Simplified Emergency Action Plan Development
• Seismic Assessment Reviews
• Prototype Catastrophic Long Term Recovery Plans
• Expanded Dam Owner Outreach

Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation Program
Ongoing program involves:
• Data Collection
• Rapid Inundation Mapping
• Field Reconnaissance
• Preliminary Risk Screening
• Simplified Emergency Action Plan Development
• Seismic Assessment Reviews
• Prototype Catastrophic Long Term Recovery Plans
• Expanded Dam Owner Outreach

Rapid Inundation Map
• Team using SMPDBK tool (NWS/NOAA)
– 2 part Arc-GIS based tool, using simplified dam break routines
• Team also testing FEMA Dam Safety toolset that enhances the SMPDBK tool (GeoDamBREACH)
• Produces a rapid, preliminary dam breach/inundation
• Also produces depth grids
• Appropriate for Preliminary Risk Screenings

Inundation Map

Data Management Portal
• Developed by team to communicate and manage data/info
• Easier collaboration; coordination with KDOW’s Risk MAP efforts/KyEM Portal

Preliminary Risk Screening
• Goal - establish a consistent/objective ranking of dams
• Various tools and procedures reviewed by team
• Semi-automated NRCS/USBR tool, combined with FEMA HAZUS-
MH to incorporate damages and PAR from dam breach

Dam Risk Mitigation Strategies
• Results of the risk screening being used to support a review of potential mitigation options for dams.
• Mitigation could include:
– Structural upgrades to dam/spillways
– Acquisition of easements in downstream inundation areas
• Could be drainage/flowage easement
• Conservation easements
– Adoption of “higher standards” for floodplain/inundation area development
– Buy-outs of affected property owners
– Flood proofing/elevation/relocation of structures
– Enhanced flood warning/evacuation systems and plans
– Establishment of downstream development regulations

Simplified Emergency Action Plans
• Goal – to produce a “starting point”, semi-automated
EAP document
• Product – Microsoft Word document with database driven fields and other user input fields; inundation/ evacuation map included
• Team is testing/evaluating of FEMA Dam Safety toolset that includes EAP (GeoDamBREACH)

Catastrophic Long Term Recovery Plans
• Goal – to produce a template Catastrophic Long Term
Recovery (CLTR) prototype for local dam owners and local emergency management officials to reference for specific dams
• CLTR Plan for dams – guidance on what to do and how to recover impoundment and downstream assets that are damaged or destroyed as a result of a dam failure
– Picks up where EAPs end
– Walks through the recovery steps necessary
– Help identify potential funding sources
– Aligned with Kentucky Emergency Management plans
• Incorporation into KyEM CHAMPS system

How does this tie into the Risk MAP process?

FEMA Risk MAP Applications
Dam Safety Hazard Mitigation
Program Output
Inundation Mapping
Risk Screenings
Risk MAP Applications
• Enhanced Flood Risk Analysis
• Areas of Mitigation Interest
• Enhanced Flood Risk Analysis
Simplified EAPs
CLTR Plans
• Enhanced Risk Communication
• Inspire Mitigation Actions
• Community Resiliency
• Economic Sustainability

Questions?
Contact:
Jon Keeling; 859-422-3000 jon.keeling@stantec.com
Carey Johnson; 502-564-3410
Carey.johnson@ky.gov