Public Works Stormwater Summit Day One: Flooding & Resiliency

Planned and hosted by APWA’s Water Resources Committee Flooding and Resiliency

These presentations provide an important overview of how public works agencies can prepare for potential flood risk and build resiliency into infrastructure planning.

Smokey Hill River Renewal: A Holistic Renewal of a Water Resource and the Community
The community of Salina, Kansas, has embarked on an exciting and ambitious plan to revitalize 6.8 miles of the Smokey Hill River corridor. In the 1960s the main channel was diverted away from downtown as a flood control measure. Today, however, a grassroots effort to reinvigorate the community and restore river flow is being planned using engineering methods to lower long-term maintenance costs and improve water quality.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:
1.Be inspired to reinvigorate forgotten and neglected areas near local water resources.
2.Use various public engagement tools to align projects with goals for flood control, passive recreation, and ecosystem restoration.
3.Explore engineering methods to lower long-term maintenance costs and build resiliency.

Is That 100-Year Storm Really a 1% Chance? Discovering the Limitations of Depth Duration Frequency (DDF) Tables
DDF curves for rainfall are used to determine designs for stormwater and flood control projects. The curves are derived from statistical analysis of historical rainfall data that typically covers several decades. But these analyses have limitations that stormwater professionals need to understand to better assess flood risk. Based on extreme events observed in some regions and changes in climate patterns, the application of historical statistics is coming into question. This presentation features examples from storms in the Houston Metro Area.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:
1.Discuss the limitations of DDF curves derived before modern radar technology was used to monitor storm events.
2.Identify how aerial distribution of storms affects single gauge statistics.
3.Use probability distributions to calculate frequency of extreme events beyond the 100- and 500-year models.

Using Asset Management to Drive Stormwater Improvements
The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, used an asset management approach to reimagine their stormwater management program. The master planning process began with an in-depth visioning and prioritization summit. Stormwater assets were inventoried using GIS and a condition assessment program was developed for both engineered assets and the natural system. The risk-based prioritization system weighed both consequence and likelihood of failure before a comprehensive capital improvement program (CIP) was developed.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, you will be better able to:
1.Identify best practices for building resiliency into your stormwater management practice.
2.Develop communication strategies to promote the value of stormwater planning and management to various stakeholders including the public, business interests, and elected officials.
3.Incorporate asset management principles into stormwater management practice.

Panel Discussion: Resiliency in the Wake of Water-Driven Disasters
History demonstrates the challenges public works professionals face when nature throws a curve ball. This panel discussion focuses on the opportunities created for development of sustainable and resilient water system infrastructure, through recovery measures and ultimate rehabilitation/repair of water systems. The panel includes representatives from Emergency Management and Water Resources Technical Committees along with FEMA staff. Climate impacts require sustainable strategies to protect our communities and to recover from potential impacts of water-driven emergencies.