WALLOWA, Ore. – The Weaver Bridge levee system, which is operated and maintained by Wallowa County, received an overall system rating of “minimally acceptable” following its most recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers periodic inspection report finalized on April 14, 2010.
The inspection report executive summary recommends an “unacceptable” rating for the Weaver Bridge levee system. However, after further review by a Corps subcommittee comprised of representatives from multiple engineering disciplines, this project was rated as “minimally acceptable.” The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will continue to rate the project as “minimally acceptable,” provided additional erosion protection is added to prevent high flows from outflanking the upstream end of the project.
The levee system’s “minimally acceptable” rating means it remains 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 in relation to this levee system, contact the levee sponsor or the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Weaver Bridge levee system is located on the left and right banks of the Wallowa River in Wallowa County, Oregon. The right bank levee is approximately 692 feet long. The left bank levee is approximately 1,244 feet long. The project is considered one system and protects Weaver Bridge, a County road, and nearby farm land. The bridge is located 3.5 miles downstream from the City of Wallowa.
“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.
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