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Little Rock District provides planning, engineering and construction support to local communities in Arkansas and Missouri. We're here to put our expertise to work for our neighbors.

Planning Assistance
Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1974, as amended, provides authority for the Corps of Engineers to assist the States, local governments, and other non-Federal entities, in the preparation of comprehensive plans for the development, utilization, and conservation of water and related land resources. Section 208 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1992 amended the WRDA of 1974 to include Native American Tribes as equivalent to a State.

Funding
The Planning Assistance to States program is funded annually by Congress. Federal allotments for each State or Tribe from the nation-wide appropriation are limited to $500,000 annually, but typically are much less. Individual studies, of which there may be more than one per State or Tribe per year, generally cost $25,000 to $75,000. These studies are cost shared on a 50 percent Federal - 50 percent non-Federal basis.

Program Development
The needed planning assistance is determined by the individual States and Tribes. Every year, each State and Indian Tribe can provide the Corps of Engineers its request for studies under the program, and the Corps then accommodates as many studies as possible within the funding allotment. Typical studies are only planning level of detail; they do not include detailed design for project construction. The studies generally involve the analysis of existing data for planning purposes using standard engineering techniques although some data collection is often necessary. Most studies become the basis for State or Tribal and local planning decisions.

Typical Studies
The program can encompass many types of studies, dealing with water resources issues. Types of studies conducted in recent years under the program include the following:

• Water Supply and Demand Studies
• Water Quality Studies
• Environmental Conservation/Restoration Studies
• Wetlands Evaluation Studies
• Dam Safety/Failure Studies
• Flood Damage Reduction Studies
• Flood Plain Management Studies
• Coastal Zone Management/Protection Studies
• Harbor/Port Studies

How to Request Assistance
State, local government, and Tribal officials who are interested in obtaining planning assistance under this program can contact the Planning and Environmental Office, Little Rock District at (501) 324-5751 for further details. Alternatively, interested parties can contact the appropriate State or Tribal Planning Assistance to States coordinator to request assistance. In either case, the Corps will coordinate all requests for assistance with the State or Tribal Planning Assistance to States coordinator to ensure that studies are initiated on State or Tribal prioritized needs.

Emergency Services
Public Law 84-99 authorizes the Corps of Engineers to participate in:
* Emergency repair and restoration of flood damaged or destroyed flood control projects.
* Emergency supply of clean drinking water where the source is contaminated.
* Emergency supply of water for human and livestock consumption in drought distressed areas.
* Emergency provision of sandbags, pumps and technical assistance.

Water Supply
This program is authorized under the Water Supply Act of 1958 (P.L. 85-500), as amended, and Section 932 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-662). It provides for water storage inclusion in any Corps of Engineers existing lake. Local sponsors must contract for storage space for municipal and industrial use.

Little Rock District currently administers 29 agreements at 9 lake projects with local governments or water districts. The Corps performs studies and writes agreements at full federal expense.

Flood Plain Management Services
People that live and work in the flood plain need to know about the flood hazard and the actions that they can take to reduce property damage and to prevent the loss of life caused by flooding. The Flood Plain Management Services (FPMS) Program was developed by the Corps of Engineers specifically to address this need. 

Authority, Objective, and Scope
The program's authority stems from Section 206 of the 1960 Flood Control Act (PL 86-645), as amended. Its objective is to foster public understanding of the options for dealing with flood hazards and to promote prudent use and management of the Nation's flood plains.

Land use adjustments based on proper planning and the employment of techniques for controlling and reducing flood damages provide a rational way to balance the advantages and disadvantages of human settlement on flood plains. These adjustments are the key to sound flood plain management.

Types of Assistance
The FPMS Program provides the full range of technical services and planning guidance that is needed to support effective flood plain management.

a. General Technical Services. The program develops or interprets site-specific data on obstructions to flood flows, flood formation and timing; flood depths or stages; flood-water velocities; and the extent, duration, and frequency of flooding. It also provides information on natural and cultural flood plain resources of note, and flood loss potentials before and after the use of flood plain management measures.

b. General Planning Guidance. On a larger scale, the program provides assistance and guidance in the form of "Special Studies" on all aspects of flood plain management planning including the possible impacts of off-flood plain land use changes on the physical, socio-economic, and environmental conditions of the flood plain.

This can range from helping a community identify present or future flood plain areas and related problems, to a broad assessment of which of the various remedial measures may be effectively used.

Some of the most common types of Special Studies include:

• Flood Plain Delineation/Flood Hazard Evaluation Studies
• Dam Break Analysis Studies
• Hurricane Evacuation Studies
• Flood Warning/Preparedness Studies
• Regulatory Floodway Studies
• Comprehensive Flood Plain Management Studies
• Flood Damage Reduction Studies
• Urbanization Impact Studies
• Stormwater Management Studies
• Flood Proofing Studies
• Inventory of Flood Prone Structures.

The program also provides guidance and assistance for meeting standards of the National Flood Insurance Program and for conducting workshops and seminars on non-structural flood plain management measures, such as Flood Proofing.

c. Guides, Pamphlets, and Supporting Studies. The program enables studies to be conducted to improve methods and procedures for mitigating flood damages. Also, for preparing guides and pamphlets on flood proofing techniques, flood plain regulations, flood plain occupancy, natural flood plain resources, and other related aspects of flood plain management.

Charges for Assistance
Upon request, program services are provided to State, regional, and local governments, Indian Tribes, and other non-Federal public agencies without charge.

Program services also are offered to non-water resource Federal agencies and to the private sector on a 100% cost recovery basis. For most requests, payment is required before services are provided. A schedule of charges is used to recover the cost of services taking up to one day to provide. Letter requests or signed agreements are used to charge for those that take longer.

All requestors are encouraged to furnish available field survey data, maps, historical flood information and the like, to help reduce the cost of services.

How to Request Assistance
Agencies, governments, organizations, and individuals interested in flood-related informationor assistance should contact the nearest Corps office for further information concerning this Program.

Information that is readily available will be provided in response to a telephone request. A letter request is required for assistance that involves developing new data, or making a map, or preparing a report.

Geographic Information System
Digital mapping and analysis is used extensively throughout the district. GIS and Global Positioning System and the tools used to develop planning databases and analyze engineering problems. GIS and GPS technology can be utilized with any of the above mentioned projects.

 

POC: Pagemaster

Updated/Reviewed: 7 Jan 2009