WALLA WALLA, Wash. – With record flooding all across the nation, 2011 had one of the most eventful flood seasons in recent history. And the Pacific Northwest was no exception.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, the states of Idaho and Wyoming, and local communities were challenged with mitigating the third highest water runoff and one of the highest snowpacks on record in the Snake River Basin since 1997.
After activating its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in May— the first time since 1996—the District deployed 15 people during the course of three months as part of flood-fight teams that included engineers and support personnel to Southeast Idaho and Teton County, Wyo.
“This was an extremely challenging year,” said District Senior Water Manager Stephen Hall. “We we were successful in working closely with our community partners and managed to regulate a very high water year with very little flood damage.”
As chairman of the board of Teton County Commissioners in Wyoming—one of the areas affected this year—Commissioner Benjamin H. Ellis explained how close coordination with the Corps helped in the flood fight.
“By working together closely we were able to track weather conditions, monitor river flows, and respond to changes in dam releases and impacts to the area’s levee system, all while keeping the public informed of our respective efforts,” Ellis said.
Hall said flood damages were also mitigated because of a little cooperation from the weather.
“We were fortunate that it was a slow melting year,” he said. “As we look back, it could have been much worse.”
The Corps took a proactive approach in early 2011 when it analyzed the amount of snowpack in the mountains and began discharging water in the reservoirs to make room for expected inflow.
According to Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security Director Brig. Gen. Bill Shawver, the Corps’ proactive approach to flooding made a difference.
“Every time I talk to an emergency manager from one of those impacted counties they are quick to point out that the resources the Corps provided were instrumental in reducing flooding,” Shawver said.
The Corps’ coordinated effort with multiple agencies such as Idaho’s Bureau of Homeland Security and Bureau of Reclamation made this year’s flood fight a success, according to District Commander Lt. Col. David Caldwell.
“Because of pre-emptive measures, communities were prepared, no properties were flooded and reservoirs were ready for recreation throughout spring and summer,” Caldwell said.
But well before any signs of an imminent flood event, the Corps was preparing for an emergency.
District flooding preparation first began in September 2010 when District Emergency Operations personnel performed a communications drill in Ada County, Idaho, for flooding along the Boise River. In February 2011, the District, State of Idaho and National Weather Service held flood-fight awareness training sessions throughout Idaho, focused by the Idaho “Silver Jackets” cooperative group, a coalition of federal and state agencies that work together to develop comprehensive and sustainable solutions to Idaho's flood hazard issues. In these sessions, Walla Walla District Disaster Response Manager Jeff Stidham helped regional officials understand their roles and responsibilities before this year’s flood event.
The flood courses trained local responders on flood response basics ranging from monitoring river and weather conditions to planning operations and filling and placing sand bags.
“Preparation is key for any potential disaster, but especially so for flooding,” Stidham said. “That's because any effective flood response takes time to ramp up. If you wait until the water is coming over the banks, it's too late for anything but heading for high ground."
“The 2011 flood fight was an overwhelming success because of an effective partnership between local, state, and federal agencies that included training, preparations, communications, and a very proactive approach,” Caldwell emphasized. “We can’t control the weather or the rate of runoff, but we can mitigate risk by working with others.”
2011 Corps flood fight key facts and figures:
* This was a regional flood fight that crossed both Corps District and Division boundaries. Portland District provided four trailer-mounted “Crisafulli” pumps (also known as “PTO-powered trailer pumps”) to the Walla Walla District for use in Jefferson and Bear Lake counties in Eastern Idaho. Three of those pumps were deployed to support flood fight efforts in Jefferson County. The other pump was sent to help Bear Lake County flood fighters, which is within Sacramento District, part of South Pacific Division.
* About 550,000 sandbags were issued by Walla Walla District throughout Southeast Idaho and Jackson Hole, Wyo. (500,000 of those sandbags were supplied by the Corps’ Seattle District, while 50,000 were from Walla Walla District’s stockpiles).
* 100 rolls of six mil plastic sheeting were issued to three counties.
* The District spent $353,000 during the 2011 flood-fight. This figure includes construction, labor and supplies (not including sandbags).
*A total of 15 District employees deployed between May and July while the District’s Emergency Operations Center was activated.
* Corps emergency management experts deployed to the Jackson Hole, Wyo., area in May to support Teton County’s flood preparation efforts and monitor levees along the upper Snake River near Jackson.
* The Corps drafted Dworshak Reservoir near Orofino, Idaho, lower than it’s been since 1999 to create 1,969,300 acre feet of flood-storage capacity on the North Fork of the Clearwater River. All that available space was used for inflows when the reservoir reached full-pool elevation on July 12, 2011.
NOTE: It takes about two acre feet to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
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