In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revamped its Levee Safety Program; inventorying the 2,000 levee systems in its portfolio, refining its levee inspection program, and revising its levee safety policies and procedures. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided funds to jumpstart levee periodic inspections, a more detailed inspection conducted once every five years.
By agreement with the Corps, the California Department of Water Resources conducts levee inspections in California’s Central Valley sponsored by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board twice a year, with the Corps conducting routine inspections of 10 percent of those levees for quality assurance.
The results of Corps levee inspections help determine continued eligibility for the Levee Safety Program’s Rehabilitation Program (RP), the Corps’ authority to provide federal aid in repairing levees damaged by floods or storms. They also provide a better picture of levee conditions; an important step in our shared efforts with state and local authorities to communicate flood risk and make informed decisions on how best to reduce it.
LEVEE SYSTEM INSPECTION STATUS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS