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At noon eastern time on Monday, June 11, 2018 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued its 2018 Workplan.  Although approximately two weeks late, the Workplan contains enough goodies for around the United States as to allow most people to forgive USACE for the delay.

The Workplan can be read at the bottom link here:

A few items are worth noting from this workplan:

  • For the first time it appears that USACE may be willing to consider local construction using Federal funds.  Two projects, Sutter Basin Project and McCook & Thornton Reserviors, have a footnote next to them, which read as follows: “Under the authority of Section 1043 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, the Corps will work with the non-Federal sponsor to consider entering into an agreement for the non-Federal sponsor to assume responsibility for carrying out construction of this project. Subject to the conditions of the agreement and to the extent allowable under current law, the amount provided here is intended to cover the remaining Federal share of this project’s construction cost.”
  • USACE is continuing its more recent practice of reimbursing non-Federal sponsors who have reimbursement agreements for advancing the Federal share of construction, such as the $10,249,000 for the Stockton Metropolitan Flood Control Project, allowing USACE to fiscally close out the project, the Florida Keys Water Quality Improvements, Central New Mexico Project, Tahoe Basin Restoration Project, and $14,774,363 for Brays Bayou in Houston, Texas.
  • USACE used five construction new starts as follows:
    • Environmental Restoration
    • Flood Risk Reduction – Coastal
    • Flood Risk Reduction – Riverine
    • Inland Navigation
    • Harbor Navigation

Check back here as more information is shared.

 

Photo of Scott L. Shapiro Scott L. Shapiro

Scott Shapiro is known for his expertise in flood protection improvement projects throughout California’s Central Valley. He is helping clients with more than a billion dollars in projects in California’s Central Valley and issues involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the…

Scott Shapiro is known for his expertise in flood protection improvement projects throughout California’s Central Valley. He is helping clients with more than a billion dollars in projects in California’s Central Valley and issues involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) throughout the Western United States.

With a special focus on massive flood protection improvement projects, Scott advises clients through regulatory, contractual, financing, and legislative challenges. Acting as general or special counsel, he regularly interacts with senior management at USACE (Headquarters, South Pacific Division, and Sacramento District), the California Department of Water Resources, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. He was named to the National Section 408 Task Force and has been invited to give testimony to the National Academies. Scott was instrumental in helping the first regional flood improvement agency that took a basin threatened by flood risk from less than 30-year level of protection to a level of protection approaching 200-year.

Having worked with FEMA on issues of floodplain mapping and levee accreditation for many years, Scott has developed collaborative environments in which he fosters win-win solutions for his clients. He is also currently serving as the lead counsel on a flood insurance rate map (FIRM) appeal and has drafted Federal legislation to modify the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) several times.

Scott is known throughout the region for his extensive litigation experience focusing on cases arising from levee failures. He has litigated levee failures resulting from underseepage, failed encroachments, and rodent burrows as well as briefing levee overtopping cases at the appellate level. Scott is one of the few attorneys with experience litigating flood cases on behalf of plaintiffs as well as defendant government entities.

Photo of Andrea P. Clark Andrea P. Clark

Andrea Clark specializes in water rights and flood control, serving as general counsel to a variety of public agencies from local reclamation districts and water districts to regional joint powers authorities.

Public agencies in the water and flood control fields rely on Andrea…

Andrea Clark specializes in water rights and flood control, serving as general counsel to a variety of public agencies from local reclamation districts and water districts to regional joint powers authorities.

Public agencies in the water and flood control fields rely on Andrea for her ability to explain in understandable terms the wide range of issues impacting them, including basic transparency laws (Brown Act and Public Records Act), public bidding and contracting, bond financing, the unique nature of joint powers authorities, and elections. She also regularly counsels clients on water transfers, Proposition 218 compliance, the California Environmental Quality Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and financing strategies for major capital improvement projects.

With a special expertise in flood control and floodplain management, Andrea is regularly asked to speak on topics ranging from flood insurance to climate change and the future of flood control policy in California. Through her representation of clients in state flood policy and speaking engagements, she has forged strong relationships with key members of the flood control community in California.

Andrea also counsels private clients, including landowners and mutual water companies, on water supply matters, including proceedings before the State Water Resources Control Board, water rights determinations, and contractual disputes with Federal agencies.