CANADIAN COLUMBIA RIVER FORUM
U.S. Flood Control and
Operational Perspective
Jim Barton, Chief of Corps of Engineers Columbia
Basin Water Management Division
Outline
• Background
• Operations Management
and Objectives
• Current and Future
Studies & Activities
• Emerging Issues
• Conclusions
Background
• Corps of Engineers has 35,000 employees organized
into 8 Divisions, 40 Districts, Headquarters
• Civil Works and Military Mission
• Managing over 500 water projects nationwide
• Columbia River projects managed from
Northwestern Division office in Portland, Oregon
• Corps is part of U.S. Entity with BPA for Treaty
Project Operating Purposes
Navigation
12000 miles of inland waterway
926 harbors
2.4 M tons of commerce/year
270 M cubic yards dredged/yr
Hydropower
75 projects, 20720 MW capacity
3% of total US electric energy
$700M in power sales to Treasury
Flood Control
383 reservoirs
8500 miles of levees
Prevent $6 in damage for
every $1 invested
Environmental
Water storage for fish and
wildlife
Water quality management
Wetlands and habitat
Water Supply
Recreation
153 projects supply cities
Including Wash. DC area
4,340 sites at 456 projects
375 M visits/year
$15 B to local economies
MILLIONS OF ACRE FEET
AVERAGE ANNUAL RUNOFF
AND USABLE RESERVOIR STORAGE
MAJOR WESTERN RIVER BASINS
250
240
230
220
210
200
190
180
170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Average Annual Runoff
Usable Reservoir Storage
Columbia
Colorado
RIVER BASINS
Missouri
Operations Management and
Objectives
• Corps coordinates closely with other parties in
the region to achieve multi-purpose objectives
• Flood control objectives are to maintain nondamaging levels, system-wide and in local areas
• Reservoirs typically drafted by March-April period
based on seasonal runoff volumes
• Draft provides space to collect snowmelt runoff in
April-July period, refill by about July
• Cumulative flood damages prevented ~ $14
billion, $5 B damages prevented in 1996-97
Benefits of Federal Projects (Damages Prevented)
Cumulative Corps Expenditures (Principle plus O&M)
Adjusted to 2000 using Construction Cost Index
$900
Flood Damage Reduction
$700
BENEFITS TO COST
$600
$6.35 in Benefits
for every
$1.00 Invested
Cumulative Benefits
$500
$400
$300
$200
Cumulative Expenditures
$100
Annual Benefits
Fiscal Year
2000
1996
1992
1988
1984
1980
1976
1972
1968
1964
1960
1956
1952
1948
1944
1940
1936
1932
$0
1928
Billions of Dollars
$800
Current & Future Studies and Activities
• System Flood Control Review: Investigate changes to
flood control to benefit endangered species.
• Variable and Shifted Flood Control: Implementing options
to adjust flood control to meet other needs
• Improved Forecasting Procedures: SOI, etc.
Emerging Issues
• Increasing system-wide demand for storage and
flows for fish & wildlife and other purposes
– Challenge to satisfy often competing uses
– Increasing interest in modifying flood control and other
operations in both countries
– Increased development in floodplains may require
more flood control, rather than less
• Implications of potential climate change on
operations and flood control
• Aging water resources infrastructure and
constrained budgets
Climate Change: Changes in Simulated April 1
Snowpack for the Canadian and U.S. portions
of the Columbia River Basin
(% change relative to current climate)
Current Climate
“2020s” (+1.7 C)
-3.6%
-21.4%
April 1 SWE (mm)
“2040s” (+ 2.25 C)
-11.5%
-34.8%
Conclusions
• Increased demand for water resources makes
coordination and integrated planning and
operation more essential
• Collaboration between U.S. and Canada to
maximize benefits of the Columbia River has
tremendous value to both countries
• Columbia River Treaty has proven to be a very
effective basis for collaboration between the two
countries to achieve mutual benefits