Ventura County Levee Systems Levee Certification Compliance Efforts

Ventura County Levee Systems Levee Certification Compliance Efforts Presentation to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District Board of Supervisors Tuesday, December 04, 2007 @1000 Hours Ventura County Government Center Levees on Santa Paula Creek A Joint Venture of URS, Dewberry, Schaaf & Wheeler, Airborne 1 and Terrapoint

Agenda Introductions of District Project Team Present n National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) n FEMA Levee Certification Requirements n – 44 CFR Part 65. 10 Federal Regulatory Standards – Process Guidance FEMA Procedural Memorandum 34 – Process Guidance FEMA Procedural Memorandum 43 Overview of District Levee Certification Efforts n Confirmation of FEMA’s Receipt of PAL Agreement Letters on November 28, 2007 n District Levee Certification Action Items during the Next 90 -120 Days n

What is a Levee ? A levee IS a man-made structure, usually an earthen embankment, designed and constructed in accordance with sound engineering practices to contain, control or divert the flow of water so as to provide protection from temporary flooding. Levees also include floodwalls. n A levee is NOT a dam, a detention basin, or a road or railroad embankment n Source: FEMA Publication: “PM 43 n – Guidelines for Identifying Provisionally Accredited Levees”

Why Update Flood Maps? n Federal Requirements - National Flood Insurance Program: – National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 – Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 – Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 n Current accurate flood maps are critical to: – Reduce potential loss of life & property through sound floodplain management – Reduce NFIP & disaster costs – Protect natural & beneficial values of floodplains n Accurate and up to date flood maps are vital for the successful implementation of all floodplain management strategies.

Flood Mapping Inventory Ages: Ventura County vs. National Trends

FEMA Levee Certification Requirements FEMA has long been concerned with levee certifications n Initiated Levee Policy Committee to develop recommendations to NFIP before Katrina in 2005 n “Accreditation” vs. “Certification” n FEMA does not certify levees. Levee owners do. n FEMA accredits certified levees on effective DFIRMs. n

Code of Federal Regulations (44 CFR 65. 10) n For the purpose of NFIP maps, FEMA will only recognize levee systems that meet and continue to meet design, operational and maintenance criteria of the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44, Section 65. 10 (44 CFR 65. 10), which was adopted on August 25, 1986 n Certification Criteria broken down into 6 key components: – – Operations and Maintenance Plan Freeboard Closures Embankment and foundation stability – Interior Drainage – Other Design Criteria

FEMA Procedural Memorandum 34 “Interim Guidance for Studies Including Levees” n n PM 34 issued on August 22, 2005 (before Katrina) Nationwide there are thousands of levee structures with inadequate, missing, or outdated certification documentation PM 34 was issued as part of the larger Map Modernization effort PM 34 Provides flowchart for identifying and mapping levees depending on certification

PM 34 - Levee Certification Paths

FEMA PM 34 – Interim Guidance for Studies Including Levees n n FEMA’s bottom line: If a levee is shown on a FIRM map as providing protection from the base flood, then it needs to be certified. Original FEMA time table required local levee owners to submit certification documentation - 30 days. Unrealistic! Local Communities and levee owners objected strenuously. In response, FEMA issued Procedural Memorandum 43 on September 26, 2006

FEMA Procedural Memorandum 43 “Guidelines for Identifying Provisionally Accredited Levees (PAL)” PM 43 was issued September 25, 2006 and revised March 16, 2007 n Those levees that require additional time for owners to compile the certification documentation will be designated by FEMA as “Provisionally Accredited” n Two Year PAL Letter – FEMA provided the District with a 90 day window to sign and return PAL agreements indicating the full 44 CFR 65. 10 documentation will be provided within 24 months of the signed agreement n

Notes for PAL Levees Shown on FIRMs n FIRM Levee Note: The following note must be applied at several locations, point to the levee, and be placed landward of the levee in or near the Zone X (shaded) area: – WARNING: Provisionally Accredited Levee. For explanation, see the Notes to Users. n FIRM Notes to Users: – WARNING: This levee, dike, or other structure has been provisionally accredited and mapped as providing protection from the 1 -percentannual-chance flood. To maintain accreditation, the levee owner or community is required to submit documentation necessary to comply with 44 CFR Section 65. 10 by (September 01, 2009). Because of the risk of overtopping or failure of the structure, communities should take proper precautions to protect lives and minimize damages n these areas, such as issuing an evacuation plan and encouraging property owners to purchase flood insurance.

FEMA PM 43 – Guidelines for Identifying Provisionally Accredited Levees (PAL) n Flood Insurance Mapping Consequences of failure to meet the certification standards of 44 CFR 65. 10: – If a levee fails to meet the criteria in 44 CFR 65. 10, or a levee owner fails to meet the PAL requirements, then the levee and the area landward of it will no longer be eligible for the PAL designation or accreditation. FEMA will remove the PAL designation from the levee, and will remap the area landward of the levee as being a Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone A in most cases).

Provisionally Accredited Levee (Scenario A) Process Scenario A applies to levees that are not in the US Army Corps of Engineers Rehabilitation and Inspection Program.

PAL Agreement Letter (Scenario A 1) FEMA Letter dated August 31, 2007 PAL Letters to FEMA Nov. 27, 2007 Certification completion date for Scenario A 1 levees is September 01, 2009

Maintenance Correction Period (Scenario A 2) Letters to FEMA Nov. 27, 2007 FEMA Letter dated August 31, 2007 PAL Letter to FEMA NLT Nov. 29, 2008 Certification completion date for Scenario A 2 levees is November 29, 2010.

FEMA Originally Identified 60 Levees and/or Levee-Like Situations Data from FEMA letter dated August 31, 2007

FEMA’s Consultant Issued Revised List (11 -08 -07) Nine “Blue” Levee Like Situations Removed

Map of District Levee Inventory

District Levee System Inventory List

Map of Seventeen District Levees: PAL Agreements or Maintenance Correction Period Request to FEMA on 11 -27 -07

List of Seventeen District Levees: PAL Agreements or Maintenance Correction Period Request to FEMA on 11 -27 -07

Levees Not Submitted by District for Certification

PAL Agreement Letter (Scenario A 1)

Maintenance Correction Period Letter (Scenario A 2)

Estimated Fiscal Impacts of Levee Certification Efforts on District’s Budgets by Watershed Zone

District’s Levee Certification Action Items n Completed Action Items – PAL Agreement Letter signatures • All PAL letters were signed by District and local reps by 26 November 2007 – Maintenance Issue Correction Period Request signatures • Maintenance Correction period requests signed by District on 20 November 2007 – PAL package preparation & compilation • PAL packages were completed by and submitted to FEMA Region IX’s Office in Oakland on 27 November 2007 via Fed. EX Priority Overnight – FEMA Region IX’s Acknowledgement of Receipt of District’s Agreement Packages • FEMA acknowledged receipt of District PAL packages forwarded on 28 November 2007 § Certification Action Items in Next 90 -120 Days - RFQ scope preparation and issue - Consultant selection - Board Approval of Professional Services Contract - Estimated within next 45 calendar days - Estimated within next 90 calendar days - Estimated within next 120 Days

Questions n Contact Information: Gerard Kapuscik Special Projects Manager (805) 648 -9284 Gerard. Kapuscik@ventura. org Joseph Lampara, Engineer III Advanced Planning Section Watershed Protection District (805) 654 -2458 Joseph. Lampara@ventura. org Calleguas Creek