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Little Rock District Levee Safety Program

Protecting communities through rigorous levee assessment, risk communication, and public safety initiatives across the Little Rock District.

Program Start

2006

Levee Systems

~2,000

Priority Goal

Public Safety

Organization

Est. 2007

Levee safety inspection and assessment activities

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Program Overview

Comprehensive levee safety assessment and risk management since 2006

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In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) created its Levee Safety Program to assess the integrity and viability of levees and recommend courses of action to ensure that levee systems do not present unacceptable risks to the public, property and environment.

Major Program Initiatives

  • Create a levee safety organization
  • Build a National Levee Database (NLD) and inventory
  • Develop methodology for technical risk assessments of existing levee infrastructure
  • Review and revise current policies and procedures associated with levees

Public Safety Priority

Core mission focused on protecting communities and lives

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Mission Critical: The number one goal of the Levee Safety Program is public safety.

Program Activities

  • Conducts inspections and assessments of approximately 2,000 levee systems
  • Evaluates, prioritizes and justifies levee safety decisions
  • Incorporates changes and improvements associated with state-of-the-art professional engineering practice
  • Makes recommendations to improve public safety associated with levee systems

Key Program Concepts

  • Levee safety and communicating risk is a shared responsibility among federal, state, local and private partners
  • Risk communication is extremely important so individuals can participate in public safety decisions
  • The Corps provides continuous feedback about levee systems through rigorous inspections and assessments

Program Objectives

Balanced assessment, evaluation, and safety recommendations

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Basic Objectives

  1. Develop balanced and informed assessments of this nation's levees
  2. Evaluate, prioritize and justify levee safety decisions
  3. Make recommendations to improve public safety associated with levee systems

Risk Communication

Educating stakeholders about residual risks and flood management

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In keeping with the engineering profession's code of ethics that holds public safety paramount, key elements of the program include informing stakeholders of the residual risks that remain with levees:

Critical Understanding: Levees do not eliminate all flood risk and can actually increase flood risk in some circumstances.

Key Risk Messages

  • Levees and levee systems do not remove all flood risk
  • Levees can actually increase flood risk
  • Other alternatives should be considered to complement levees and/or to replace levees in order to maximize flood risk reduction in the long term

Organization Structure

Dedicated levee safety professionals at every organizational level

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In November 2007, the Corps established its Levee Safety Organization at every level—headquarters, divisions and districts.

Key Positions

  • Levee Safety Officer (LSO): Technical lead for levee safety issues and decisions
  • Levee Safety Program Manager (LSPM): Responsible for coordination and implementation of the Levee Safety Program
Comprehensive Coverage: Levee safety positions are established at district and division levels throughout the Corps organization.

Levee FAQ

Frequently asked questions about levee systems, inspection, and safety

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Understanding Levees

What is a levee system? A levee is composed of multiple segments. In a levee system, each segment is dependent upon the performance of the other segments in the system – if one segment fails, the entire system fails.

What is a levee segment? The basic unit of a levee. Typically, adjacent levee segments have different sponsors.

What is a federal levee? A federal levee is a levee that was constructed by the Corps of Engineers under specific authorization such as the 1936 Flood Control Act or other federal law.

Flood Protection & Risk

Important: No levee is flood-proof. Levees reduce the risk of flooding but no levee system can eliminate all flood risk.

Why can't levees stop all flooding? A levee is generally designed to control a certain amount of floodwater. If a larger flood occurs, the floodwaters will flow over a levee and may cause a breach in the levee.

How can we have multiple "100-year" floods in ten years? A 100-year flood is a description used for a flood with a 1-100 chance of happening in a given year. It is possible to have one or more "100-year" floods in a year or in back-to-back years when weather patterns permit.

Arkansas Levee Statistics

  • 93 levee segments total in Arkansas
  • 78 Federally-constructed levees and 16 non-Federal levees
  • 23 funded under MR&T (Mississippi River & Tributaries)
  • 18 levee segments do not have active sponsors in the Little Rock District
  • 17 levees certified for FEMA accreditation

Inspections & Maintenance

How often are levees inspected? Periodic Inspections are generally performed every 5 years. Routine Inspections are about every two years. Frequency depends on funding.

Common levee problems: Culvert structures (leaking/deteriorated), encroachments (unauthorized cuts or structures), and unwanted vegetation (trees, thick brush).

Average protection level: Varies widely from 10 years (rural agricultural levees) to over 1000 years (urban floodwalls). Most fall between 50-100 year protection levels.

The Truth About Levees

Essential facts for those living behind levee protection

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Critical Fact: The levees built to protect people from flooding are by no means fail-proof. Some levees are in good shape but many are not.

Key Facts

  1. Flooding will happen. All rivers, streams, and lakes will flood eventually. This means that all levees will be called upon to combat floodwaters at some point.
  2. No levee is flood-proof. Levees reduce the risk of flooding. But no levee system can eliminate all flood risk.
  3. Risks vary. The flood risk depends on the probability of a particular sized flood and the potential loss of property, livelihood, or lives.
  4. Actions save lives. Steps you can take now include purchasing flood insurance, developing evacuation plans, and flood-proofing your home.

What You Can Do

  • Determine if you live behind a levee and find out who owns it
  • Visualize the impact if your levee is overtopped or breached
  • Develop an emergency action plan for flooding
  • Buy flood insurance
  • Take advance precautions to reduce potential flood damage
  • Support funding initiatives for levee improvement projects
  • Report any problems you see with levees
Remember: People who live behind levees are vulnerable to flooding. Addressing inadequate levees requires considerable time, energy, and resources. Acting now will cost less than acting later.

Levee Safety Resources

Essential links for levee information and safety programs

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Federal Resources

Emergency Preparedness

During Flood Watch/Warning:
  • Listen to radio/TV/Internet for flood alerts
  • Check for local emergency management instructions
  • Locate your pre-assembled emergency kit
  • Move valuable items to higher areas
  • Turn off electricity and gas at main valves
  • Place sandbags where water may enter
  • Evacuate immediately if instructed

Flood Insurance Information

Areas behind uncertified levees are mapped as high-risk areas, and flood insurance is mandatory for buildings with federally backed or regulated mortgages. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offers coverage to homeowners, renters, and business owners in participating communities.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Little Rock District

Levee Safety Program: Protecting communities through engineering excellence and continuous risk assessment.