NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Post-storm Emergency Stream
Response Training Opportunities
Preparing for the Next
And Ever-increasing
Major Storm Event
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
August – September 2011
August 28:
Tropical Storm
Irene
September 7:
Tropical Storm
Lee
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
New York’s
Flood Response
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Massive flooding
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Destructive Power of Moving Water
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Flood Response “Triage”
• Immediate Emergency
Items
• High Priority Items
• Assessment/Repair
• Documentation and Further
Needs
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Rescues
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Significant infrastructure impacts
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Dramatic loss of property
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Disrupted stream systems
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Immediate Priority Items
Fire Stations Rescue Centers Hospitals
Water Wells & Systems Power Plants Sewage Treatment Plants
During or right after a flood some things must be
done, including, but not limited to:
Opening clogged bridges
Opening closed roads
Keeping important
installations functioning:
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
High Priority Items
High priority items are those items that are necessary for the first part of the cleanup process
This includes getting channels
back into some acceptable
condition by:
– Opening clogged channels
– Putting avulsed channels back in place
– Temporarily Stabilizing actively eroding streambanks & landslides
– Return the channel to a condition such that the natural processes of streams can begin to return it to its natural state
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Assess the Stream Channels
• To decide where to work and where not to work
• To decide where to work first
• To identify the equipment and work force that
will be required
• To identify reaches that require technical
assistance
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Intervention Needs
Restore proper channel size and
shape
Re-connect floodplains
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Proper channel size and shape
Bottom Width
BF Depth
FP Width
BF Width
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Project Benefit
A well-informed emergency response
will:
Reduce negative environmental impacts
Reduce future flood risks
React quicker and more effectively
Save time and money
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Preparations for the next event
• Need to develop capacity for responding to
storm events
• Changing climate will result in more intense
storms more frequently
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
Goal: To develop capacity in New
York municipal officials,
contractors, and agency
staff to properly respond to
storm impacts to streams
and adjacent and
associated infrastructure.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Project Objectives
•Develop a trained municipal employee
and contractor base
•Present science-based
emergency post-flood
stream repair techniques
•Use this knowledge to
mitigate/repair flood damaged streams
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Project Objectives
• Spread this knowledge to other municipal
employees and contractors
•Develop protocol for emergency
post-flood stream intervention training
• Pilot post-flood intervention training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
New York’s Department of Environmental
Conservation and the Department of
Transportation have committed to working with
communities and their contractors to prepare
for future storm events.
Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
This is only a first step in a long-term commitment to
outreach, education and capacity building for living
with streams.
Will also need to address: •better land use planning
•proper implementation of flood plain management
•improved stream corridor management
•comprehensive habitat conservation
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Three-prong approach to
Capacity Building
Awareness building
uses existing events to provide literature and/or staff
presentations to raise awareness
Education
actual education of municipal officials and heavy
equipment operators
Information
Provide basic technical information for interested
publics
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Awareness Building
Raise awareness of:
How storms affect streams and associated infrastructure
How “typical” post-storm responses actually exacerbate
flood risks and habitat loss
Simple steps that communities can take to properly
respond to future storm events.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Awareness Building
Example of events to be attended by DEC and
DOT staff to reach municipalities and public:
Association of Towns meeting
Association of County Highway Superintendants
Cornell Highway School
Environmental Management Council
Association of General Contractors
Others? Suggestions?
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Education
How to properly respond to stream impacts after
the flood – developing local capacity.
Coordinate and facilitate the replication of the Delaware
County Soil and Water Conservation District training for
communities.
Include a component to develop better understanding by
DEC and DOT staff about what worked (or not) in the
2011 and earlier flood events.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Education
Trained Individuals
•Contractors 61
•Municipal Leaders 73
• Agency Staff 51
•Watershed Assoc.
Members 30
•Total Trained 215*
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Training Goal Provide municipal employees and private
contractors with science, skills and techniques to
address immediate post-storm stream issues.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
•Training Course developed
•Based on stream mechanics
•Takes advantage of the self-stabilizing
tendencies of streams
•Is easily applied in the field
Can be applied throughout New York
Education
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Geographic Regions of New York
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Regional Information Available
• Regional stream channel
geometry tables, based
on drainage size
Regional watershed maps
that identify drainage size
at any point on a stream
within any watershed
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN Bankfull Hydraulic Geometry vs. Drainage Area for Selected Drainage Areas
Construction Dimensions
D. A. (sq. mile)
Bankfull Area
(sq. ft)
Bankfull Width
(ft)
Bankfull Depth
(ft)
channel bank side
slope
D (ft)
3D (ft)
X (ft)
TW (ft)
Min FP (ft)
1 11 13.5 0.8 3:1 1.1 3.2 3.5 13.5 30
2.5 23 20.4 1.1 3:1 1.4 4.3 5.9 20.4 45
5 41 27.8 1.5 3:1 1.8 5.5 8.4 27.8 61
7.5 57 33.4 1.7 3:1 2.1 6.3 10.4 33.4 73
10 72 38.0 1.9 3:1 2.3 7.0 12.0 38.0 84
12.5 86 42.0 2.1 3:1 2.5 7.5 13.5 42.0 92
15 100 45.5 2.2 3:1 2.7 8.0 14.7 45.5 100
17.5 114 48.8 2.3 3:1 2.8 8.5 15.9 48.8 107
20 127 51.8 2.4 3:1 3.0 8.9 17.0 51.8 114
22.5 140 54.6 2.6 3:1 3.1 9.3 18.0 54.6 120
25 153 57.3 2.7 3:1 3.2 9.6 19.0 57.3 126
27.5 165 59.8 2.8 3:1 3.3 9.9 20.0 59.8 132
30 177 62.2 2.8 3:1 3.4 10.2 20.9 62.2 137
32.5 190 64.4 2.9 3:1 3.5 10.6 21.6 64.4 142
35 201 66.6 3.0 3:1 3.6 10.8 22.5 66.6 147
37.5 213 68.7 3.1 3:1 3.7 11.1 23.3 68.7 151
40 225 70.7 3.2 3:1 3.8 11.4 24.0 70.7 156
42.5 236 72.7 3.2 3:1 3.9 11.6 24.8 72.7 160
45 248 74.6 3.3 3:1 4.0 11.9 25.5 74.6 164
47.5 259 76.4 3.4 3:1 4.0 12.1 26.1 76.4 168
50 270 78.2 3.4 3:1 4.1 12.3 26.8 78.2 172 *From USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5247
Instructions:
1) Select the table for the drainage basin that your project is in.
2) Select the drainage area (D. A.) in the selected table that most closely matches the D. A. at your project site.
3) Under "Construction Dimensions" read the channel dimensions tabulated.
4) Build the channel to these "approximately bankfull" channel dimensions.
C L min. FP
TW
3D X X 3D
D D
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Post-Storm Response Training
What it is not:
Stream restoration
Flood prevention or mitigation
A fix for every possible flood-caused
problem in streams
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
As a pilot, the DEC will facilitate and support
training by the Upper Susquehanna Coalition
in the Upper Susquehanna River watershed,
including the
Chemung River
sub-basin.
Post-Storm Response Training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Course held on three non-consecutive days
Day 1: classroom training
Day 2: field visit to view work in progress
Day 3: field visit to view finished construction;
class room review of methods applied
Post-Storm Response Training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Information
Further develop the DEC web gateway to
increase public access to information regarding
flood protection and stream restoration.
Provide a half-hour Powerpoint presentation on
the DEC website to identify the basics, let
people know that they need more information,
and where to get more information.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Information
Develop a one-page “Do’s and Don’ts” that will
be available as a quick reference to those in the
streams. Also post on the website.
Continue networking with other agencies (ie.
DOT, Ag and Markets, other states) that are
involved in the issue to get the best information
and resources to the publics that need them.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Next Steps
Provide “train-the-trainer” training
to SWCD staff
Pilot Susquehanna with USC
Get materials on the web
Develop incentives
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Permitting
Emergency Stream Intervention provides an opportunity to streamline post flood permitting.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
Questions?
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
For Further Information Contact:
Mark Woythal
Instream Flow Unit Leader
Div. of Fish Wildlife & Marine Resources
Phone (518) 402-8847