COLFAX, Wash. – The Colfax Number 1 and Number 2 levee systems which are operated and maintained by the City of Colfax, received overall system ratings of “minimally acceptable” following their most recent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers periodic inspection reports finalized on Nov. 11 and Dec. 2, 2010, respectively.
The levee systems’ “minimally acceptable” ratings mean they remain eligible to apply for federal rehabilitation assistance if 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 Colfax No. 1 levee system is located along the north fork of the Palouse River and main stem Palouse River in Whitman County, Wash. The project was completed in 1965 and consists of approximately 3,700 feet of concrete lined channel, 4,900 feet of revetted channel, 2,300 feet of unrevetted channel and drainage structures located between River Mile (RM) 81 and RM 83.
The Colfax No. 2 Flood Reduction Project is located along the south fork of the Palouse River and Spring Flat Creek in Whitman County, Washington. The project was completed in 1965, and consists of approximately 7,190 feet of concrete lined channel, 2,610 feet of left and right bank revetted levees, and drainage structures located between the south fork of the Palouse River Mile (RM) 0.0 and RM 1.3 and between Spring Flat Creek RM 0.0 and RM 0.4.
Both levee systems protect low-lying residential, commercial and business areas of the City of Colfax.
“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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