Delaware Estuary Levee Organization

Is New Jersey protected from a storm like Katrina? Evidence suggests not. Because it borders the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware River, southern New Jersey is especially vulnerable to flooding and storm surges. Low lying areas along the Delaware Bay are protected by a little-known system of more than 70 earthen levees and tide gates originally constructed during Colonial times. This ancient flood control infrastructure is crumbling, and responsibility for maintenance is fragmented and uncoordinated.

DELO’s mission is to identify, update,
& ensure maintenance for 70
levees located throughout South Jersey.

South Jersey Levee Inventory explained . . . on 040411

Approximately 35 levee owners, municipal workers, and government officials attended the April 4th meeting to learn the results of the South Jersey Levee Inventory. Officials from DEP Dam Safety, FEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers discussed the effect of the Levee Inventory to their respective organizations.

Greg Westfall of the Natural Resources Conservation Service started off the meeting and gave with a powerpoint presentation summarizing the inventory findings. All participants received a notebook copy of the 139 page inventory report.

Greg Westfall		Joe Ruggeri

Joe Ruggeri, Supervising Engineer from the DEP Dam Safety division followed Greg. Joe discussed Levee Risks and Assessment. He defined risk and gave examples of different types of levee risk. Joe also introduced the Levee Safety Action Classification, Class I to IV. The DEP hopes that the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will do the levee classification. The USACE is currently classifying USACE levees, but not non-USACE levees, as funding is tight. There is no funding to start a Levee Safety Program in NJ at this time.

A topic of particular interest to the group was the National Flood Insurance Program, presented by Pat Griggs from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She said that two weeks ago 49 senators sent a letter to a FEMA administrator expressing concern that the new FEMA maps are putting many more people than before into Flood Zones. Pat presented power point slides on the NFIP including Preferred Risk Policy which can provide a preferred rate for property owners affected by the 2008 maps.

At this time there are many questions, but it seems clear that FEMA will be developing a new levee policy. Pat said that they will need new modeling about levees to use in flood risk studies.

Pat's presentation elicited a number of questions from the audience concerning this change. View more details on this topic or visit floodsmart.gov

Pat Griggs		Bruce Rogers

The last expert to speak was Bruce Rogers from the Army Corps of Engineers. He spoke on the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP) and the Levee Safety Program. The RIP applies to levees owned and operated by public entities. The Gibbstown levee was the only levee in South Jersey that was ever in the RIP, but now is no longer in the program. The Levee Safety Program created a National Committee on Levee Safety, which developed a draft plan in 2009. The first step would be a "one time" inventory and inspection of levees. Right now there is authority to do this, but no funding. Fortunately, the South Jersey Levee Inventory provides much of this information, already.

Discussion

SJRCD host Ken Taaffe requested the experts to answer questions from the audience. Questions arose about past proposed repairs to two levees; the Mill Dam Levee and Pine Mount Creek Levee. Though funding through the Corps of Engineers and the state of New Jersey appeared promising in the past, delays in the process has torpedoed these repairs.

Ken then asked the group for their thoughts on moving forward. He mentioned that he and Greg's current positions may be eliminated. This will require another organization to coordinate future meetings.

For more details view meeting minutes.

A survey was conducted to determine next steps.

The DELO Survey results may be viewed here.

South Jersey Levee Inventory Completed

The much awaited inventory of flood prevention levees was completed in November of 2010. This inventory's purpose was to estimate the type and extent of vulnerability to people and property, including agricultural acreages and businesses, protected by these structures.  Information obtained from this inventory should provide for enhanced levee safety management and emergency response activities.

Click the photo to left to print out a copy of the report and view a power point presentation on the inventory.

The South Jersey Resource Conservation and Development Council spearheads the Delaware Estuary Levee Organization, which provided project oversight and provides information and outreach. Look for Outreach meeting early 2011 to explain inventory results to local officials and levee owners.

SJRCD Levee Inventory Info Sheet

FEMA Fact Sheet for Levee Systems

Levee Safety Testimony before the
US House of Representatives - May 2009

November 16, 2009 — Coordination Meeting
NJDEP & NRCS on the South Jersey Levee Inventory

John Moyle, Bureau of Dam Safety and Flood Control, has been elected to be the national head of the American Society of Dam Safety Officials (ASDO) for 2010. During this productive meeting, John shared a new publication called "So, You Live Behind a Levee!" The publication was created to answer such questions by individuals and communities to better protect themselves from future flood threats. It was written for both the engineering and non-engineering public. It covers issues such as flood size and risk, signs of trouble, ways to reduce risk, and how to prepare for and respond to emergencies. Questions answered include:

Most people know that levees are built near rivers and lakes to reduce flooding risk, but what does it mean to live behind one?
Are your home and loved ones safe from floods?
How much protection does the levee really provide?
What do you need to know to be safe?

Protecting South Jersey from flooding should be a public priority! Lives, livelihoods, property and industries are at stake. Too bad that the region lacks a clear mandate to maintain or improve its levees. In response, SJRC&D catalyzed and helped organize the Delaware Estuary Levee Organization -- DELO -- a group of concerned citizens and public officials.

DELO’s mission is to identify, update, and ensure maintenance for the 35+ levees located throughout South Jersey. Recently, the Counties of Camden, Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland received a FEMA grant to perform a regional, multi-jurisdictional “all-hazards” mitigation plan. This plan must be completed in a year.

The multi-jurisdictional “all-hazards” mitigation plans (one each for the respective counties) are in final draft. These drafts have undergone NJOEM review and those comments are included in the revisions that will be sent to FEMA by the end of January 2009. Minor edits are anticipated to be required by FEMA, but the plan notation will most likely be: "Approved pending adoption." This is FEMA terminology meaning the plan has met their requirements, but must still be adopted by local authorities to be considered valid.

All four draft plans may be viewed here.

The Inventory will identify and characterize the location, extent and characteristics of existing levees/dikes in South Jersey and the amount, type and extent of vulnerability of people and property protected by these levees including agricultural acreages and businesses. Municipal officials, County Engineers, County Planners, County Mosquito Commissions, Soil Conservation Districts, and Agricultural Agents are being contacted to help identify local levee systems.

The levee inventory utilizes Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology as well as in-the-field examination of the levees. The Corps of Engineer’s National Levee Inventory criteria for the characteristics of the levees is being used.

Anticipated completion date for the Inventory is April 2010.

For further information on the Inventory contact Greg Westfall, Water Resource Planner, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, at 732-537-6054 or gregory.westfall@nj.usda.gov.