Flood Control Act of 1965
Encyclopedia
The Flood Control Act of 1965, Title II of , was enacted on October 27, 1965, by the 89th Congress
and authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers
to design and construct numerous flood control projects including the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana Hurricane Protection Project in the New Orleans region of south Louisiana.
The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965
was also part of (Title III).
(of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) to design and construct any water resource development project, including navigation
, flood control
, and shore protection if the cost of any single project did not exceed $10 million. Any such project was subject to local cost sharing in the same manner as larger projects.
to conduct surveys for flood control and allied purposes, to include drainage and channel improvements.
protection system to protect south Louisiana
from the worst storms characteristic of the region. The Corps began developing the storm model in 1959, called the Standard Project Hurricane
(SPH). This model was not subsequently adjusted, despite the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(the successor agency to the Weather Bureau) recommending increasing the strength of the model: the Corps did not change its construction plans. The local levee boards retained the role of maintenance once the projects were complete. When authorized, this mandate was projected to take 13 years to complete. When Katrina
struck in 2005, the project was between 60-90% complete and the projected date of completion was estimated to be 2015.
Details of the congressional mandate are defined in the Government Accountability Office
's testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on September 28, 2005. The opening paragraph of the twelve page report reads:
The initial scope of the project was to provide hurricane protection to areas around the lake in the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, and St. Charles with the federal government paying 70 percent of the costs and the state and local interests paying 30 percent, the typical cost-share arrangement.
for related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions.
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to design and construct numerous flood control projects including the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana Hurricane Protection Project in the New Orleans region of south Louisiana.
The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965
The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1965, Title III of , was enacted on October 27, 1965, by the 89th United States Congress. The act authorized the U.S...
was also part of (Title III).
Basic Provisions
Sec 201 of the Act authorized the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of EngineersChief of Engineers
The Chief of Engineers commands the US Army Corps of Engineers. As a staff officer at The Pentagon, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs....
(of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) to design and construct any water resource development project, including navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
, and shore protection if the cost of any single project did not exceed $10 million. Any such project was subject to local cost sharing in the same manner as larger projects.
Surveys
Sec 208 of the Act authorized the Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
to conduct surveys for flood control and allied purposes, to include drainage and channel improvements.
Impact on New Orleans
Prior to 1965, the state of Louisiana designed and built its flood protection through its levee boards. After Hurricane Betsy, Congress gave control of the flood protection to the US Army Corps of Engineers in the Act which called for a floodFlood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
protection system to protect south Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
from the worst storms characteristic of the region. The Corps began developing the storm model in 1959, called the Standard Project Hurricane
Standard Project Hurricane
The Standard Project Hurricane, or SPH, was the initial model used to determine how strong the hurricane protection system should be in order to protect the New Orleans, Louisiana area from flooding due to hurricanes.- History :The U.S...
(SPH). This model was not subsequently adjusted, despite the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
(the successor agency to the Weather Bureau) recommending increasing the strength of the model: the Corps did not change its construction plans. The local levee boards retained the role of maintenance once the projects were complete. When authorized, this mandate was projected to take 13 years to complete. When Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
struck in 2005, the project was between 60-90% complete and the projected date of completion was estimated to be 2015.
Details of the congressional mandate are defined in the Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
's testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on September 28, 2005. The opening paragraph of the twelve page report reads:
"Congress first authorized the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity, Louisiana Hurricane Protection Project in the Flood Control Act of 1965. The project was to construct a series of control structures, concrete floodwalls, and levees to provide hurricane protection to areas around Lake Pontchartrain. The project, when designed, was expected to take about 13 years to complete and cost about $85 million. Although federally authorized, it was a joint federal, state, and local effort."
The initial scope of the project was to provide hurricane protection to areas around the lake in the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, and St. Charles with the federal government paying 70 percent of the costs and the state and local interests paying 30 percent, the typical cost-share arrangement.
Specific Projects
Sec 204 of the Act authorized projects in the following locations:- St John River Basin, Maine
- Housatonic River Basin, Connecticut
- New England - Atlantic Coastal Area
- Long Island Sound
- New York - Atlantic Coastal Area
- Elizabeth River Basin, New Jersey
- Rahway River Basin, New Jersey
- Neuse River Basin, North Carolina
- Middle Atlantic Coastal Area
- Flint River Basin, Georgia
- Central and Southern Florida Basin
- South Atlantic Coastal Area
- Phillippi Creek Basin, Florida
- Lower Mississippi River Basin, adapting the Birds Point - New Madrid project enacted by 45 Stat. 34 at an estimated cost of $189,109,000
- General Projects - Grand Isle, Morgan City, and Lake Ponchartrain, Louisiana (Lake Ponchartrain at a cost of $56,235,000)
- Ouchita River Basin, Louisiana
- Red River Basin, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas
- Gulf of Mexico - various bayous in Texas
- Rio Grande Basin, Texas at a cost of $12,493,000
- Arkansas River Basin, as authorized by the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1946 - various creeks and rivers in Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas
- Missouri River Basin - various creeks and rivers in Kansas, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Missouri, and Montana
- Ohio River Basin - various creeks and rivers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia
- Red River of the North Basin
- Upper Mississippi River Basin - various projects in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and South Dakota
- Great Lakes Basin
- Little Colorado River Basin
- Gila River Basin, Arizona
- Eel River, Whitewater River, Santa Ana River, Sacramento River, San Diego River Basins, California
- San Francisco Bay Area
- Columbia River Basin, Oregon and Washington
San Francisco Bay water quality
Sec 216 of the Act authorized the Corps of Engineers to study the water and wastewater quality of various bodies of water in the San Francisco Bay area.Modification of Other Flood Control Acts
- Flood Control Act of 1944Flood Control Act of 1944The Pick-Sloan Flood Control Act of 1944 , enacted in the 2nd session of the 78th Congress, is U.S. legislation that authorized the construction of numerous dams and modifications to previously existing dams, as well as levees across the United States...
, with respect to roads impacted by Whitney Dam, Texas - Flood Control Act of 1958, with respect to the Minnesota River
- Flood Control Act of 1960, with respect to funding limitations
- Flood Control Act of 1962, with respect to the Scioto River, Ohio
External links
See also
- Water Resources Development ActWater Resources Development ActWater Resources Development Act , is a reference to public laws enacted by Congress to deal with various aspects of water resources: environmental, structural, navigational, flood protection, hydrology, etc....
- Rivers and Harbors ActRivers and Harbors ActRivers and Harbors Act may refer to one of many pieces of legislation and appropriations passed by the United States Congress since the first such legislation in 1824. At that time congress appropriated $75,000 to improve navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers by removing sandbars, snags,...
for related legislation which sometime also implement flood control provisions.
- Standard Project HurricaneStandard Project HurricaneThe Standard Project Hurricane, or SPH, was the initial model used to determine how strong the hurricane protection system should be in order to protect the New Orleans, Louisiana area from flooding due to hurricanes.- History :The U.S...