VALE, Ore. – The Vale levee systems P, Q, R and sewage lagoons, which are operated and maintained by the City of Vale, received overall system ratings of “minimally acceptable” following the most recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers periodic inspection report finalized on April 28, 2010.
The inspection report executive summary recommends “unacceptable” ratings for the Vale levee systems Q and R. However, a Corps subcommittee comprised of representatives from multiple engineering disciplines provided further review of this project. Based on information provided by the inspection contractor, past inspections and the sponsor's maintenance plan, the subcommittee recommended those two systems should be rated as “minimally acceptable.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to rate the Vale levee systems Q and R as “minimally acceptable,” provided the City of Vale provides a maintenance plan to the Corps detailing how they will restore systems Q and R to an acceptable condition. The Corps will continue to rate systems Q and R as “minimally acceptable” provided satisfactory progress is made according to the City Council’s plan. The next inspection of this project will be scheduled this summer (2011).
The levee systems’ “minimally acceptable” rating means they remain eligible to apply for federal rehabilitation assistance if it is damaged in a flood or storm event. Corps of Engineers project ratings do not determine final eligibility under the National Flood Insurance Program, a FEMA-managed program. Certification documentation is the responsibility of the levee sponsor. For information concerning the National Flood Insurance Program contact in relation to this levee system, contact the levee sponsor or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
System P is located in the City of Vale, Malheur County, Ore. The project was completed in 1961, and consists of approximately 8,244 feet of left bank levee embankment along Bully Creek and the Malheur River. The downtown area, numerous homes, the Vale Elementary and Middle School, the Vale Rodeo Grounds, and several farms are protected by the levee system.
System Q is located near the City of Vale. The project was completed in 1961 and consists of approximately 2,088 feet of right bank levee embankment along the Malheur River. Several residential buildings and a small piece of farm ground are protected by the levee system.
System R is located adjacent to the City of Vale. The project was completed in 1961, and consists of approximately 3,270 feet of right bank levee embankment along the Malheur River. Several residential and industrial buildings are protected by the levee system
The City of Vale sewage lagoons are situated on the left bank of the Malheur River in Malheur County, Ore. The Vale Sewage Lagoon Flood Reduction System was excavated as part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vale Unit channel and levee construction project in 1960 and 1961. The Vale Sewage Lagoon Flood Reduction Project is considered a single system which protects the sewage lagoons from flooding on Willow Creek and the Malheur River.
“Public safety is the number one goal of the National Levee Safety Program,” said Herb Bessey, Walla Walla District’s Levee Safety Program manager. “We want to make sure levee systems are reliable and do not present unacceptable risks to the public, economy or environment.”
Inspections and assessments provide continuous feedback about levee systems and their reliability and are a critical part of the Corps’ Levee Safety Program. Routine inspections, conducted annually, focus on the operation and maintenance of the project. These annual inspections verify the project sponsor operates and maintains the levee to achieve the maximum benefits the levee was designed to provide. Routine inspection items include vegetation, encroachments, drainage structures, erosion, animal burrows and culverts. Routine inspections result in an acceptable, minimally acceptable or unacceptable rating and affect the project’s eligibility for federal rehabilitation assistance under Public Law 84-99 if damaged in a flood or storm event.
The periodic inspection is the next level in the levee safety program and is conducted by a multidisciplinary team, led by a professional engineer. It includes a more detailed, comprehensive and consistent evaluation of the condition of the levee system and will be conducted every five years. Activities under the periodic inspection program include routine inspection items; verifies proper operation and maintenance; evaluates operational adequacy, structural stability and, safety of the system; and compares current design and construction criteria with those in place when the levee was built.
The final periodic inspection rating is based upon the routine inspection items, and includes an acceptable, minimally acceptable or unacceptable rating. Additional periodic inspection information that will be shared with the project sponsor includes identification of components and features that require monitoring over time.
The executive summary of the levee’s most recent periodic inspection reports can be obtained by contacting Herb Bessey at (509) 527-7144.
The National Levee Safety Program Act of 2007 directs the development of a national levee safety program, in addition to the inventory and inspection of levees nationwide. More information about the National Levee Safety Program is available on the Web at www.nfrmp.us/ncls/index.cfm.
-30-