riverside - united states army€¦ · pinpoint anne marino sat down with riverside to discuss her...

RiveRsidewww.mvn.usace.army.mil August 2008

17th stReet canal seepage

tRee Removal along the 17th stReet canal

21st annual engineeRs’ day picnic

Keeping the mississippi Between the leveesthe coRps faces the sixth highest RiveR levels in 108 yeaRs

On the Cover: The high water mark at the Carroll-ton gage is visible in this photograph by Regmar Hanemann

Authorization: The New Orleans District Riverside is an unofficial publication authorized under the provi-sions of AR 360-1. Views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Corps of Engineers or the Department of the Army.

Submissions: Articles and story ideas are welcome: publication depends on the general interest as judged by the editor. Direct inqui-ries to the editor by calling (504) 862-2201 or e-mail-ing [email protected]

Circulation: 1,800 copies per issue

RiveRsideAugust 2008Vol.22 No. 1

CommanderCol. Alvin B. Lee

Public Affairs ChiefMaj. Timothy Kurgan

EditorRicky Boyett

Inside this Issue

The root of the problem In July, the Corps began the process to remove trees and fences along the 17th Street Canal levee.

Searching for the source

An update of the ongoing seepage along the 17th Street Canal and how the Corps is addressing the situation

Keeping the Mississippi River between the levees

This past spring, the Mississippi River rose to its sixth highest levels in 108 years. The efforts of the Corps helped keep New Orleans dry.

It’s all fun and games... The 21st Annual Engineers’ Day Picnic was a success! Here is the list of winners and a photo collage of the events

Pinpoint Anne Marino sat down with Riverside to discuss her life in post-Katrina New Orleans

Carrollton gage A word from our commander

A changing of the guard

One of our best has retired. The Riverside bids farewell to Lt. Col. Murray Starkel and welcomes the arrival of Maj. (P) Mark Jernigan

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∕is

Harvey Canal floodwalls

The Corps awarded two more contracts, with a combined value of $110.5 million, for construction of floodwalls along Harvey Canal.

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“Character is like a tree and reputation is like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” AbrahamLincoln

Carrollton GageU

SAC

Eph

oto

August29marksthethirdanniversarysinceKatrinaforeverchangedourlives.Asweapproachthisday,it

isimportanttolookbackonthelastthreeyears.Rememberingtakesusbacktothelessonsthatwerelearnedandreinvigoratesourdeterminationtodoeverythingwithinourrealmforpublicsafety.

Lookingbackcanserveanotherpurposeaswell.Itprovidestheopportunitytorealizethesheermagnitudeofworkyourtirelesseffortshaveaccomplishedovertheselastthreeyears.Everyday,eachofyouhasworkedexhaustivelyaswestrivetomeetour2011100-yearprotectiongoals.Intheprocess,youhavealreadygreatlyimprovedtheHurricaneandStormDamageRiskReduction

Systemanditiscurrentlystrongerthaneverbefore.

ThispastJune,IattendedmyfirstNewOrleansDistrictEngineers’DayPicnic.Itwasgreattoseeeachofyouhavetheopportunitytoenjoyamuchdeserveddayofrest,relaxation,food,andfunwithfamilyandfriends.Iwouldliketopersonallythankeveryonewhohelpedcoordinatetheevent.Aswithanyeventorganizedbyourteammates,itcameasnosurprisethatthedaywasasuccess.Iamalreadylookingforwardtooursecondannualtug-of-warcompetition.

Inclosing,Iwanttothankeachofyouforyourcontinuedeffortsandcommitmenttohelpingusreachour2011goal.Icanneveradequatelythankyouforallthatyouhavesacrificedandendured.Myonlyhopeisthatattheendoftheday,youallleavehereknowingthatyouaredirectlyreducingrisksforyoufamiliesandfellowresidentsintheGreaterNewOrleansarea.

Building Strong! Essayons! Col.AlLee

The root of the problem

Asthepeakofthe2008hurricaneseasonap-proaches,theCorpsisworkingdiligentlytoprovidecitizensofthegreaterNewOrleans

areawithamoreresilientandreliableHurricaneandStormDamageRiskReductionSystem(HSDRRS).Topromotepublicsafety,theCorpsistakingmeasurestoimprovethesystem.TheongoingtreeandfenceremovalprojectisonesuchmeasurethatwillfurtherincreasetheresiliencyandreliabilityoftheHSDRRS.

TheCorpsisremovingtreesandfencesfromhurricaneprotectionleveesandfloodwallsforavarietyofreasons,allwhichcenteronmaintainingandinspectingastableandreliablesystem.Treesandfenceslocatedonorclosetoaleveecanprohibitproperinspectionandmaintenanceoftheleveeandcriticalleveetoearea.Theleveetoeareaiswheretheleveeslopemeetsthenormalgroundlevel.Thisareaissusceptibletoseepage,especiallyduringastormeventwhenwaterlevelsarehigher.Fencescanpreventaccesstothisarea,andoftenactastrellis-likestructureswhichpromotetreeandshrubgrowth.

Trees,andtheirrootsystems,cancauseastabilityandintegrityproblemforleveesandfloodwallsduringahurricane.Treesaresusceptibletobeingblownoverinthestrongwindsthataccompanyahurricaneorstormevent.Whenatreetopples,theextensiverootsystemcanbepulledupwithit,creatingalargevoidintheleveesectionortoe.Thiscavitycanthencreateapathforwatertoerodetheleveesection.Thisvoidandseepagecannegativelyimpactthelevees’stabilityandeffectivenesstoprotectthepublic.

TheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineersisfollowingnationalpolicyguidancethatrequiresallwoodyveg-etationberemovedfromfloodprotectionleveesduetotheirabilitytocreateseepagepathsforwaterandtoinhibitpropermaintenanceandinspection.TheCorpsguidancerequiresa15-foot“vegetation-freezones”fromthetoeofalevee,wheresufficientlegalrightstothepropertyareavailable.InNewOrleans,thereisinsufficientdocumentedright-of-wayalongtheoutfallcanalstoprotectthelevees.Thelocalleveeauthori-tieshavegrantedtheCorpsrightofentrytoremove

Tree and fence removal along the 17th Street CanalØ

is

by Lee Mueller

2 Riverside August 2008

treesandfencesthatarewithin6feetoftheleveetoebasedonpre-existingstatelaws.

TheCorps’guidancedoesallowfortreesinaleveesectionwhenthesectionhasbeen“overbuilt”aslongasthereisa3-footroot-freezonebeyondthenormallyrequiredleveesection.AnoverbuiltleveesectionisrelativelyrareinSouthLouisianaandisonethatcontainsmorematerialthannecessaryontheprotectedsidetomaintainthestructureandstabilityoftheleveeslope.Theeastbankofthe17thStreetCanalhassuchasituationatitssouthern-mostend.

PriortoHurricaneKatrina,the“vegetationfree-zone”guidancewasnotstrictlyenforcedbytheCorpsorthelocalleveeauthorities,andasaresulttreesandfenceshaveintrudedonthisleveetoeplus6-feetzone.TheCorpshasbeenprovidedfederalfundingtocon-ducttreeandfenceremovalontheHSDRRSonbehalfonthelocalleveeauthorities.Inaddition,alllegalrightstoenterprivatepropertytoconductsurveysandremovetreesandfenceshavebeenacquiredthroughthelocalleveeauthoritiesbasedonavailablerights-of-wayandexistingstatestatutes.WhiletheCorpsisremovingtreesandfencesfromprivateproperty,nopropertyisbeingtakenfromowners.Ineffect,theCorpsissimplyenforcingpre-existinglimitationson

theowners’activities,limitationsthatareessentialtoprotecttheintegrityofthelevees.

AlltreesandfencesalongtheLondonAve.andOrleansAve.outfallcanals,aswellasthelakefrontleveesinOrleansandJeffersonparishes,havebeenremovedpriortothe2007hurricaneseason.Approxi-mately1200treeswereremovedfromtheHSDRRStodate.TreeandfenceremovalbeganJuly7,2008,ontheeastbankofthe17thStreetCanalandtheCorpsiscommittedtocompletingthisworkbeforethepeakofthe2008hurricaneseasontofurtherreduceriskforresidentsofthearea.Thewest,EastJefferson,sideofthecanalstillrequirestreesandfencestoberemovedtoreducerisk.Thisremovalwillnotbecompletedbeforethepeakofthe2008hurricaneseason;howev-er,theCorpswillworkexpeditiouslytoremovetheserisksassoonaspossible.

Treeandfenceremovalisimportanttocompleteevenwiththecurrentinterimfloodgatesandpumpstationsinplaceatthemouthofeachoutfallca-nal.Theseinterimclosurestructuresaredesignedtopreventstormsurgefromenteringthecanalsduringahurricane.However,thewaterlevelsintheoutfallcanalswillstillrisefromtherainwaterbeingpumpedintothecanalsfromtheinteriorpumpingstations.

The roots of a tree located at the toe of a levee will often penetrate the levee itself. If the tree is then uprooted, the resulting ground disturbance can create seepage paths. These paths promote the ero-sion of the levee, thus weakening its protective capabilities.

August 2008 Riverside 3


EachoutfallcanalhasaspecifiedsafewaterelevationthatismonitoredandmaintainedbytheCorpsofEngineersandtheSewerageandWaterBoardduringahurricane.Ifatreealongafloodwalltoppledandresultedinero-sionorseepage,thiscouldcreateaprobleminthestabilityandstrengthoftheleveealongtheoutfallcanal.

TheCorpsofEngineersanditslocalsponsorshavedeterminedthattreeandfenceremovalisnecessarytoreduceriskfortheHS-DRRS.However,theCorpsissensitivetothefactthattheremovalprocessdoesimpactpri-vatepropertyandhomeowners.TheCorpsistakingeverysteptoreduceimpactstopropertyduringremovaloftreesandfences.Propertyownershavebeenprovidedwithdigitalim-agesoftheirpropertywhichhighlighteachobstructionthatneedstoberemoved.Numer-ousmeetingshavebeenheldtoensurethatresidentsunderstandtheneedfortheremovalworkandhowitwillimpacttheirproperty.Forthosepropertiesthathaveswimmingpools,theCorpswillbeplacingtemporaryfencingtoensurethesafetyofthepublic.

TheCorpsisworkingdiligentlytowardsprovidingthegreaterNewOrleansareawith100-yearprotectionby2011.Intheinterim,theCorpsistakingmeasurestoreduceriskandincreaseresiliencywithinthesystem.Treeandfenceremovalisanimportantpartofthiseffort.TheCorpsissympathetictothepropertyownersthatareimpactedbythiseffortandareworkingtoimprovetheirsafetyaswellasthesafetyoftheentiregreaterNewOrleanscommunity.

(Below) A similar tree removal project was undertaken prior to the start of the 2007 hurricane season along the London Avenue Canal levees. The top photograph, taken February 23, 2007, shows a home along Warrington Drive prior to the tree removal process. The second photograph shows the same area less than four months later.

(Above) This diagram demonstrates the clearance necessary for a levee to maintain its integrity. Corps guidance requires a 15-foot vegetation free zone. In cases of overbuilt levees, a rarity in Southeast Louisiana, trees can located on the levee as long as a 3-foot root free zone is maintained.

USA

CEphoto


ThecurrentstateofourleveesandfloodwallsisamajorissueforallwithastakeinthesafetyandwelfareofthelocalcitizensofgreaterNew

Orleans.TheCorpshasqualityengineersandcontrac-torswhoplacesafetyandmaintenanceattheforefrontofeverythingtheydo.

Recentlytherehasbeenmuchconcernoverseep-agealongthe17thStreetCanalneartheHurricaneKatrinabreachsite.Duringtherepairsofthesite,wereplacedtheexistingI-wallswithstronger,morerobustT-wallsanddrovesheetpilesdeepenoughtogothroughtheseepagepathandcutitoff.Aftertheinstallationofthesefloodwalls,itiscommonforsomeseepagetooccurandthengraduallytaperoffastheareaself-seals.Thiscircumstanceappeared,atfirstglance,tobethesourceoftheseepageoccurringalongthe17thStreetCanal.

However,beginninginApril,someconcernedcitizenscontactedtheCorpsregardingsomewetspotsalongtheprotectedsideofthecanal.Corpsrepresentativeswentoutonlocationtoinvestigatethesourceoftheseepage.Aftertheinitialinvesti-gation,Corpsofficialsexcavatedanareatheyidentifiedasthesourceofthetwoseepagespots.Hiredlaborremovedrubbleandotherdebris;thentheyfilledthesitewithcom-pactedclay.

OnMay7,Corpsofficialsre-turnedtothesiteinvestigatingfurtherreportsofseepageinthearea.Resultsfromwatersamplestakenfromtwopuddlesofwatercausedbydozertracksyieldedthatthesourceofthewaterwasbrackish,orfromthecanal.Thefollowingday,Corpsofficialsrevisitedthesiteanddeterminedthattherestillexisteddarkspotsbutnovisiblesignsofpooling.

InlateMayandearlyJune,

aftercontactedbyarearesidents,thelocalmediareportedonthecontinuedseepagealong17thStreet.Corpsofficialshaveremainedopenandtransparentwhenengagingmediaandlocalresidentsontheseep-ageissue.Corpsofficialsfurtherclearedconfusiononthesourcesofpooledwaterintheareabyconductingsalinitytestsintheareaandsharingtheresultswithlocalmedia.

TheCorpshasacknowledgedthattheseepagespotshavegrownsincethetimeourofficialsbeganmonitoringthelocation.Theseepagetrailhasgrownfrominsidethefencetoanareaoutsidethefenced-inareaoftheproperty.Furthermore,officialshavenowwitnessed,“bubbling”atthesourceofthewaterlocatedinsidethefenced-inarea.

TheCorpsplacespublicsafetyaboveallwedoandisdeeplyconcernedforthewell-beingofallour

Seepagealongthe17thStreetCanalThe Corps is using all of its resources to determine the source

byRandyCephus

When repairing the floodwalls along the 17th Street Canal, the Corps replaced the I-walls with a stronger more resilient T-wall construction. Following the installation, seepage is common during a time while the area self-seals.

(Continued, page 11)


It’s not the heat; it’s the humidityOur new deputy district commander arrives from the Albuquerque District by Amanda Jones

Hehassomeprettybigshoestofill,buthe’snostrangertoNewOrleans,orthepaceoftheNewOrleansDistrict.

“AfterKatrinahit,afterRitahit,15percentoftheAlbuquerqueDistrictemployeesdeployeddownhere.Iwasoneofthosethatcame,”saidMaj.(P)MarkJernigan.

HewaslasthereinOctober2005andhesaidhe’sseenalotofimprovement.

Butasthenewdeputydistrictcommander,hesaidoneofhisbig-gestchallengesisgoingtobeget-tingsituationalawarenessofsuchalargeendeavorandgainingsomeofthecorporateknowledgethat’s“walkingoutofthedoor.”

He’smorethanawareoftheNewOrleansDistrict’sverylargemission,andJernigansaidhe’smostexcitedaboutseeingsomeofthe“cuttingedge,stateoftheartengineering”that’sbeingusedinthedesignandconstructionoftheHurricaneandStormDamageRiskReductionSystem.

“It’salsointerestingtometobeapartofateamthat’sdoingsomethingthat’sneverreallybeendonebeforeinsuchashortamountoftime,”saidJernigan.

He’soriginallyfromMobile,Ala.andgrewupseeingfirsthandwhathurricanescando.Hesaidtheef-fortswe’remakingareimportanttohimpersonally.

“TheworkwedoinNewOrleansandcoastalLoui-siana,asfarascoastalrestoration,canbeappliedinotherareasofthecountry,”saidJernigan.

Workinghere,Jernigansaid,is“anincredibleop-portunityonanumberoflevels.”

Ihavebeenveryimpressedwiththefriendlyatmo-sphere,dedication,andpassionIhaveseendirectedtowardmeetingthe2011commitment,”saidJerngan.“IhaveseenitineveryonethatI’vemethereinthedistrict.”

Hehopestomakeitaroundtoeachdivisiontomeetalloftheemployees,butinthemeantime,hewantseveryonetoknowthathelovestofishand,asaformerstudentofMississippiState,hecan’twaitforthemto

playLSU.Jerniganwascommissioned

asanengineerofficerinDecem-ber1991andhispreviousas-signmentsincludethefollowing:platoonleader,battalionadjutantandcompanyexecutiveofficerinthe91stEngineerBattalionatFortHood,Texas;battalioncivilengineerinthe46thEngi-neerBattalionatFortPolk,La;commanderofBCompany,46thEngineerBattalionatFortRucker,Ala.;deputy com-manderforaJointServiceDetach-mentbasedin

Guam;instructorattheUnitedStatesArmyEngineerSchoolatFortLeonardWood,Miss.;andfinallydeputydistrictcom-manderoftheAlbuquerqueDistrict.

MajorJerniganwasaDistinguishedMilitaryGraduatefromtheMis-sissippiStateUniversityROTCprogram,earningabachelor’sdegreeinCivilEngineeringin1991.In1996,heearnedamaster’sdegreeinEnvi-ronmentalEngineeringfromtheUniversityofMissouriatRolla.

“It’s also interesting to me to be a part of a team that’s doing something that’s never really been done before in such a short amount of time.”



A heartfelt farewell to one of our finestLt. Col. Murray Starkel retiresby Amanda Jones

Aswemovetoward100-yearprotectionontheGreaterNewOrleansHurricaneandStormDamageRiskReductionSystem,we’reletting

goofoneofthebrightleaderswhoguidedusthroughthreehurricaneseasonsandalargeportionofthishis-toricalcivilworksproject.

Whilethere’snodoubtthathe’sanintelligentmanwithanendlesscapacityforknowledge,he’softendescribedas“bright”becauseofthesmileonhisfaceandhisgenuineandanimatedpersonality,somethingeveryonenoticedsincehisfirstdayonthejobinJuly2005.

Justdaysafterhestarted,Lt.Col.MurrayStarkel,thenMaj.Starkel,toldRiverside,“I’mjustveryhappytobehere.MychoiceswereIraq,AfghanistanorNewOrleansanditwasrealsimple.”

HejokinglysaidheplannedtofocusonsomeofthegreaterchallengesofNewOrleans,likehowtopronounceallofthenamesofthegeographicloca-tions.HelearnedthosenamesreallyfastwhenHur-ricaneKatrinahitjustsixweekslater.Throughitall,itwasthespirit ofhiscoworkersthathefoundso memorable.

“AsIsawinIraq,theCorpsofEngineersasanorganizationhasthebestand

brightest,themostpatrioticpeople

wholiterallyruntothesoundofthecanonsto

help,”saidStarkel.“Andthatwasprob-ablythemostamaz-ingthingwastosee

theheartandthededication.Peoplestilltothisdayare

diggingoutfromthedamagethathappenedintheirpersonalliveswhilestillworkingungodlyhourstofin-ishthismission.”

Whenpressuredtocomeupwithotherunforget-tablememoriesduringhistimehereinsteadofusingthecliché“thepeople,”hesaidwithasmile,“It’seasytosaythepeoplebecauseitisthepeople.”

“Iwouldalsosay,despiteallthecriticismthatweget,it’sthegreatworkthatwe’redoinghereaswell–unprecedented,historicworkthathasbeendoneinsuchashortperiodoftimeandfightingthroughthelayersandlayersofbureaucracyandpeoplestillmain-tainingagoodsenseofhumorandkeepingtheirwitsabouttheminthemostinsaneenvironmentyoucanimagine.That’swhyit’sbeenauniqueexperience,”saidStarkel.

Hedidgoontosaythatpullingthesheetpilesatthe17thStreetCanalwasunforgettablebecauseofthe“openandtransparent”mannerthatweallowedtheworldto“lookinsidethetenttoseehowweoperate.”

“Iwastheaccountableofficerfortheequipmentthatwasextracted,andIhadtorideintheflatbedtruckwithchunksofsheetpile,steel,concrete,allthesamples

“As I saw in Iraq, the Corps of Engineers as an organization has the best and brightest, the most patriotic people who literally run to the sound of the canons to help...”



Thispastspring,the“mighty”MississippiRiverliveduptoitsnamewhenitsswollenbanksbeganaslowrisewhilemakingitswaytotheGulfof

Mexico.Asalways,theU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineersmaintainedaclosevigilovertheriverasitheadedtowardNewOrleans.InMarch,predictionsindicatedtheriverstagewouldreachhighenoughlevelstoactivatetheCorps’floodfightingefforts.Forthenexttwomonths,therisingwaterswouldtesttheCorps’MississippiRiverandTribu-taries(MR&T)System.However,theCorpsprovedreadyandpreparedforthechallenge.Bythetimefloodfightingeffortswerecalledoff,theMississippiRivergrewtobe-comethe6thlargesthighwatereventinthelast108years.However,inspiteofthemassiveriverflow,theeffortsoftheCorpsanditspartnerskeptthebulgingriversafelywithinitsbanks.

Mississippi River and Tributaries SystemTheMR&Tiscomprisedofthreefloodcontrolstruc-

turesdesignedtopreservelifethroughouttheriverbasinbyprovidingaprioritized,equitable,andsystematicresponsetoseverewaterfloweventsintheMississippiRiver.ThesestructuresaretheBonnetCarréSpillway,theMorganzaSpillway,andtheOldRiverControlStructure.

TheBonnetCarréSpillway,theoldestofthethreestructures,wascompletedin1929.Located28milesup-riverofNewOrleans,thespillwayallowsforthediversionofhighriverwatersafelyintoLakePontchartrain.

TheMorganzaSpillway,located35milesaboveBatonRouge,allowsforthediversionofMississippiRiverwaterintotheAtchafalayaRiver.Completedin1954,thespill-wayhasonlybeenopenedonce,torelievepressurefromtheOldRiverComplexin1973.

Keeping the “Mighty Mississippi” between the leveesThe Corps’ flood fighting efforts during the sixth largest flood since 1900byEricHughes

August 2008 Riverside �

TheOldRiverComplex,located15milesnorthwestoftheMorganzaSpillway,governsthedistributionflowsbe-tweentheMississippiandAtchafalayaRivers.TheCorpsoperatesthecomplexoffourstructurestomaintaina70/30flowdistributionbetweenbothrivers.

ThethreestructuresoftheMR&ThelptheCorpseffec-tivelyandefficientlymaintainandprotecttheregionduringhighriverconditions.Theoperationofeachstructuredependsupontheseverityofthehighwaterevent.Toal-leviatehighriverflows,theMR&TfollowsafloodcontrolplanthatfirstcallsfortheopeningoftheBonnetCarréSpillway.Iffurthermeasuresarenecessary,theoperationoftheMorganzaspillwayandtheOldRiverComplexwouldfollow.

Inadditiontoprotectinglives,theCorpsusesthesystemtomaintainsafetyforrivernavigation.IncooperationwiththeU.S.CoastGuard,naviga-tionbulletinsareissuedtonotifymari-nerstoexerciseextremecautionwhennavigatingbetweenBatonRougeandtheGulfofMexicobytheusingthesafestspeedpossibleandsteeringawayfromleveesandrevetmenttoavoiddamage.

Flood fight effortsTheNewOrleansDistrictproactivemeasurestoensure

thepublic’ssafetybeganMarch11,2008,initsparticipa-tionwithlocalauthoritiesinanon-sitetabletopfloodfightexercise.ItiseffortssuchasthisthatallowtheCorpstosupporttheon-goingeffortsofthelocalleveedistrictsandauthorities.

Thedistrict’semergencyoperationscenter(EOC)istheprimarystationtooverseeallpossibleemergenciesinthefieldandcoordinatein-houseandwithourpartnersforthemosteffectiveemergencyresponse.OncetheNa-tionalWeatherServicepredictionsindicatedarisingriver,theEOCactivatedthefirstoftwofloodphasesonMarch

24,2008.Duringthisphase,whichbeganwhentheriverpredictionswereat15feetandrisingattheCarrolltongageinNewOrleans,thedistrictmobilizedninefloodfightsectorteams.Theseteamsincreasedleveeinspectionsandsurveillanceoperationstothreedaysaweekalongthe973milesofriverleveesintheLowerMississippiandAtchafa-layaBasins.

InearlyApril,theNWSincreaseditspredictiontoariseabove17feetinNewOrleans.Asaresultofthisupdatedprediction-althoughtheleveeprotectionsysteminNewOrleansprovidesfloodprotectionuptoelevation25,includingtheproject’sfloodflowlineandfreeboard.-the

EOCactivatedthesecondfloodfightphaseApril7.Duringthisphase,effortswereincreasedtodailysurveil-lanceoperations.

Duringthesetwophasesoffloodfightingef-forts,theCorpsanditspartnerssurveyedandinspectedthele-veesforanythingthatmayimpacttheintegrityofthefloodprotec-tionsystem,suchascurrentscourontheriversideofthelevee,seepagethroughthelevee,sand

boilsonthelandsideofthelevee,orcrevasses.Theninefloodfightsectorteamsremainedvigilantuntilwaterlevelsreturnedtobelow12feetandallflood-fightingeffortswerede-activatedJune6,2008.Intheirefforts,thenineteamssuccessfullystabilizedandcontrolled63areasofseepageand18sandboilsthroughoutthesystemwhilesufferingnoreportsofinjury.

Bonnet Carré Spillway Duringthefloodfightingefforts,theCorps’hydraulics

teamcloselymonitoredboththeriseintheriverlevelsandtheincreaseofriverflowintheeventthatoperationoftheMR&Tfloodcontrolstructureswasnecessary.Thecriteriatooperatethesestructuresarebaseduponexistingandpro-jectedriverflowsandleveeconditions,potentialeffectsofrivercurrentsonnavigationandrevetments,extendedrain

Families,schoolchildren,andothercuriousresidentslinedtheleveetowitnessthefirstopeningoftheBonnetCarréSpillwaysince1997.TheSpillwaywasopenedonApril11,2008tokeeptheMississippiRiverflowsatNewOrleansfromexceeding1.25millioncubicfeetpersecond

ScottRiecke


andstageforecasts,thedurationofhighriverstages,andpotentialeffectstotheenvironmentandflood-sideactivities.

Oncetheriverflowreachedtherequired1.25mil-lioncubicfeetpersecond(cfs),Col.AlvinLeerecom-mendedthatBrig.Gen.MichaelWalsh,theCorps’MississippiValleyDivisionCommanderandpresi-dentoftheMississippiRiverCommission,authorizeoperatingtheBonnetCarréSpillway.OnApril11,theCorpsopenedthespillwayforthefirsttimein11years.

Thespillwayiscom-prisedof350bayswith7,000timberneedles,ofwhichato-talof160bayswereopenedbytheCorpswithinninedays.Byopeningthestructure,theCorpsloweredriverlevelsandmaintainedtheriverflowatorbelowtheprojectfloodof1.25millioncfs.Thus,thepressureagainsttheleveesystemsouthofthespillwaywasgreatlyreduced.Furthermore,theriverflowvelocitiesforcarefullyoperatednavigationweremaintained.

Whentheriverflowswereharnessedandlevelsbegantodrop,thestructurewasclosedcompletelyonMay8,2008.Duringthe28daysinoperation,theaverageflowthroughthestructurewas113,000cfsofacapacityof250,000cfs.Asaresultoftheimpactofthespillway,theMississippiRiverreachedacrest,belowtheNWS17ftfloodstage,of16.98ftonApril26,2008.Inreviewofthespringflows,theCorps’engineersnowcalculatethattheriverwouldhavecrestedat17.8ftatNewOrleanswithouttheopening

ofthespillway.

Monitoring the aftermathPriortoitsopening,theCorps,incoordination

withitsenvironmentalpartners,developedaplantomonitortheon-goingandfutureconditionsofLakePontchartrainanditsvicinity.Thisteamiscurrentlycompilingseveralstudiestobetterunderstandandad-dresstheimpactsopeningthespillwayhasonthelocal

environ-mentandeconomicindustry.

Untilthewaterqualityparametersreturntobaselineconditions,theCorpswillcom-piledatabasedonwaterqual-itysamplesanalyzedfornu-trients,triazine,herbicides,

salinity,turbidity,

dissolvedoxygen,andmanyothercomponents.ThisdatawillallowtheCorpsanditspartnersgreaterinsightthateverbeforeintopredictingandaddressingtheimpactsoffutureopeningsofthespillway.

Withthisyear’shighriverfloodeventbehindus,theMR&Tsystemperformedasexpected.TheCorps’effortsassuredprotectingliveswasthenumberonepriorityoftheorganization,andinthemidstofmanychallenges,theseeffortsallowedthe“mighty”Mis-sissippitocontinueitsnamesakeandkeepAmerica’sprimaryriversystemfrombeinginterruptedintheprocess.

TheBonnetCarréSpillwayiscomprisedof350bays,with7,000timberneedles.Atotalof160ofthesebayswereopenedbytheCorpswithinninedays.Duringthe28daysinoperation,theaverageflowthroughstructurewas113,000cfs(137,000cfsbelowitscapacity).

ScottRiecke


localcitizens.Wealsorecognizethatseepageisacommonoccurrencewhenbuildinginacoastalarea.TheCorpsconsidersseepageassessmentaspartofanygeotechnicalevaluationforanyfeatureintheHurricaneandStormDamageRiskReductionSystem(HSDRRS).

Afterseveralinvestigationsintothepossibleseepagesources,theCorps,alongwithitslocalandstatepartners,hasagreedtohaveasecondsetofeyeslookatthesite.WeagreedthattheCoastalProtectionandRestorationAuthority(CPRA)andtheSoutheastLouisianaFloodProtectionAuthority-East(SLFPA-E)willrecommendalistofengineersaspotentialreviewersandSLFPA-Ewillselectreviewersfromthatlist.

Theselectedexternalreviewteamwillincludeonegeotechnicalengineerandonestructuralengi-neer.Thisteamwillreviewthefloodwalldesignandrenderanopiniononwhethertheseepageaf-fectstheintegrityofthefloodwallatthislocation.

Insummary,theseepagespotsthattestedasbrackishhadgrownfromthetimeweinitiallytestedthemapproximatelythreeweeksprior.Duringthattime,theseepagehasgrowntoanareaoutsidethefenced-inportionofthepropertyalongthecanalandBellaireDrive.However,theCorpsdoesnotwanttodigaroundthesourceofthespotortakeanyotheractionwhileawaitinganexternalreviewteam’sup-cominginvestigationofthesite.Nevertheless,theCorpswillcontinuetomonitorthesite.

(SEEPAGE, from page 5)thatwereallcatalogued,stenciled,engraved,markedandinventoried.Ididthatwithapolicees-cort,probablytheonlytimethatyou’llhavehunksofscrap,inessence,getapoliceescortthroughthecityofNewOrleans,”saidStarkel.

HealsosaidtheLondonloadtestwasauniqueexperiencebecauseitwasatestonalivestructurethatwasactuallyprovidingprotection.

Butwhathesaidhe’llmissthemostwillbethepace.

“It’skindofsick…butIdoenjoythepaceandthewaythatpeoplewilljustworksohardtogetthingsdone.You’reprobablynotgoingtofindthatinalotoforganizations,”saidStarkel,gettingbacktohowimportantthepeopleherearetohim.

Beforeleaving,StarkelleftsomeadvicefortheMaj.(P)Jernigan,themanfollowinginhisfootsteps.

“Therearecertainindividualsinthisorganiza-tionthathavegotsuchgreatknowledgeandun-derstandingofthesystem,”saidStarkel,“that,togetagreatjumpstartonyourunderstandingofthesystem,talktothemandgettheirperspectiveontheissues.”

HesaidtheseimportantpeoplearefolkslikeAlNaomi,BrettHerr,TomPodany,CarolBurdine,WalterBaumy–peoplewhohavelongevityhereandhavebeenthroughitall.

Healsosaidit’simportantforthenewdeputycommandertohavefullsituationalawarenessoftheproject.

Asfortherestofthedistrict,heasksthatevery-one“keepthefaith”andagoodbalancebetweenworkandpersonallives.

“Don’tlettheworkconsumeyou.Don’tletthecriticismtaintwhatyou’retryingtodo,”Starkelasked.

(LTC STARKEL, from page 7)

HismilitaryeducationincludesgraduationfromtheEngineerOfficerBasicandAdvancedCourses,CombinedArmsStaffServiceSchool,andtheArmyCommandandGeneralStaffCollege.HeisaRegis-teredProfessionalEngineerinthestateofMissouri.

HismilitarydecorationsincludetheMeritoriousServiceMedal,theArmyCommendationMedal,theJointServiceAchievementMedal,theArmyAchieve-mentMedalandtheNationalDefenseServiceMedal.

(MAJ JERNIGAN, from page 6)


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AnneMarinoisUNPLUGGED


HerLakeviewhomewasdestroyedinKatrinaandoverthelastyearshelostbothhermotheraswellasherfather-in-law,butAnne’sthetypeofpersontoalwayspointoutthepositivesinlife,nomatterwhat.

Likemosteveryone,Anne’sworklifehaschangedaswell.TherehavebeenafewbumpsinthetransitiontoACE-IT,butintrueAnneMarinostyle,shesaid,“It’sgoingwell.”

Rarelythewomaninfrontofthecamera,shesmiledmodestlyassheexplainedtheroleofavisualinformationspecialist.

“Ibasicallydoaudio-visualsetupsforprojectmanagersandthecommander;backupphotography;createPowerPoints,displays,brochures–anythingvisualprettymuch,”saidMarino.

TheconstantchangeinpersonnelthroughoutthedistricthasposedsomechallengesfortheVIshopbecausenoteveryoneknewtheservicesthatAnneandhercoworkerscouldprovide.

“Wejustwantedtobeabletohelpeveryoneasbestwecould,”saidMarino.“Ittookalittlewhiletogetitouttherethattheresourcesarehere,buttheeverchangingofpersonnelissomewhattaperingoff.ButIthinkthathasbeenthemostchallengingpart.”

HerexperiencesoverthelastfewyearshavechangedAnneaswell.

“I’malotmorepersistentonmanythings;I’vehadtobe.Buttherearethingsthatwouldhaveboth-

eredmebeforethatI’mprettyrelaxedaboutnow,”saidMarino.

RightafterKatrina,havingfriendsandfamilyknowthatsheworksfortheCorpswasalittlediffi-cult.

“TheystillribmeaboutworkingfortheCorpsandmakefunnyjokesandIhavetodefendmyself,andIdo,”saidMarino.“Somepeopletotallyunderstand.They’vegottentheirhousesdamagedandtheydon’thaveanyhardfeelings.”

ShesaidlivinginLakeviewandworkingfortheCorpshasgottenbetterovertime,especiallywithpeoplecomingbackeveryday.

“There’shope,”shesaid,thatthingswillbenor-mal,thatmostofthebusinesswillcomeback.

“Mybiggestchallengeissurvivinguntiltheneighborhoodpublicschoolisrebuilt.Ikeepworkingthroughthechallenge.Ican’twaitforthattohappen.IthinkthatwillbeabigboastforLakeview,”Marinosaid.

Itwillalsomakeadifferenceinherson’slife.Untilthen,Marinosaidshe’llcontinueherextracur-ricularactivitieswithhersonandhisfriends,likeCubScouts,theLakeviewplaygroundandtheschoolnewsletter.

“Ijustwanttobeabletohelpthekids,parentsandteachers,”saidMarino.

“AfterKatrina,Irebuiltahouse,movedin,becameascoutCubmaster,plusdothenewsletterformyson’sschool,”saidAnneMarinoasshereflectedonthepositivechangesinherlifesince2005.

AnneMarinoisUNPLUGGED


This July, the Corps

awarded two contracts for the construc-tion of floodwalls along the Harvey Canal. These

contracts, totaling $110.5 million, require a combined 5055 linear feet of T-Walls to be erected and will provide

100-year level of protection to an area which previously had no federal protection. As of the date of publication, the total value of contracts awarded for Harvey Canal flood wall construction is approximately $319.3 million.In addition to the floodwall construction, one of the contracts requires the provision of fronting protec-tion for the Hero Pump Station. “Fronting protection is designed to protect interior drainage pump stations from storm surge and to prevent the back flow of water through the pumps, which is very impor-tant for public safety,” said Sami Mosrie, Project Manager for floodwalls on the West Bank.

T-walls along the Harvey CanalTwo contracts, with a combined value of $110.5 million, were awarded in July, 2008

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USACE-MVN’s 21st Annual Engineers’ Day Picnic Results

Golf TournamentLowest Score: 53 Carl Niemitz* John Ashley Steve Cali Bill Cowdrey Leroy Harrison Joseph Olejnik Colby Payne*wononascorecardplayoff

Longest Drive: Colby Payne (both holes)Closest to the Hole Sean Burdine Brian Oberlies Albert Terry Kim Tullier

Run/Walk/Dash

RunMale1st: Jay Ratcliff2nd: Jason Cheek3rd: Steve Roberts

FemaleElizabeth BehrensKellen SmithMichelle Rachel

WalkMale:1st: Denis Beer2nd: Todd Klock3rd. Louis Cheek

Female:Sara BeerCandida C. WagnerRachel Beer Calico

3 & underBoys1st: Timothy Lacoste2nd: Blake Rossignal

3rd: Landon Bettisworth

GirlsTierney TerrellTie: Julia Ayres Rebekah CookKate Dalrymla

4 & 5Boys1st: Jake Dalmado2nd: Logan Bettisworth3rd: Trey Rossignal

GirlsGeorgia JonesKelly Jones

Rally Price

6 & 7Boys1st: Tyrease Terrell2nd: John Stark Shane Dalmado3rd: Zack Tujague

GirlsAnna StarkKelsey Price

Lindsay Wingate

8 & 9Boys1st: Jarad Robie2nd: Josh Rambeau3rd: Kenneth Haab

GirlsPiper BordesChristine Peacock

10 & 12Boys1st: Don Jones2nd: Neal Eli3rd: Azmar Eli Farrell Shelton

GirlsBrandi RambeauErin ArnoldBlair Rossignal

13 to 15Boys1st. Quinton Jones2nd: Don Jones3rd: Juan Knatt

GirlsHannah Waldron

TennisAdvanced:1st.: George Brown2nd: Frederick Wallace

Beginner1st: Simone Jolissaint2nd: Robert Wallace

Intermediate1st: Bill Rester2nd: PJ Varnado

Doubles1st: Elaine Stark/ Joe Chow2nd: Don Alette/ Paul Oakland

Michael Bourgeois Charlston Britton Jackie Calendar Kodi Chambliss Antoine Jackson Crorey Lawton Lawrence Keller

Michelle RachelMelvin RaySteve RobertsPamela TankClaire TurnerJerome Williams

volleyballTug Of War Dave Beck Jason Binet Travis Creel Billy Landry Brian Leaumont Keith O’Cain

Following pages: A photo collage of the 21st Annual Engineers’ Day Picnic attendees and activities. Collage was created from pictures taken by Heath Jones, Michael Maples, Anne Marino, Mike Murphree, Scott Riecke.

WhentheNewOrleansDistrictscheduledajobfairinthedistrictassem-

blyroomforAug.9,2008,noonehadanyideaoftheshearamountofpeopleinterestedinworkingfortheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers.

Districtemployeesstartedgreetinganxiouspotentialcandidatesnearlyanhourbeforethescheduledstarttimeof9a.m.

Sevenindividualstations,groupedbyoccupationalarea,weresetupforthevisitorstodiscusspossibleemploymentopportunities.

Visitorspouredintothebuildingnonstopfortheentirelengthofthejobfair,mostafterwaiting45min-utesjusttogetintothegates.Hopefulswereofferedthe

opportunitytoturninre-sumesandspeaktomanagersinthefieldsofenvironmen-tal/biological,engineering,technicians,constructioninspectors,clerical/adminis-trativesupport,budget/pro-gramanalysts,accountants,realtyspecialists/appraisers,andcontractspecialists.

Bythecloseoftheeventat1p.m.,915peoplehadcomethroughthejobfairinhopesofworkingfortheNewOrleansDistrict.

“Iampleasedwiththeturnoutbe-causethisshowsthatpeoplearenotonlyinterestedintheworkwearedoing,butthattheyalsowanttobepartoftheteam,”saidMaj.Jernigan,deputydistrictcommanderoftheNewOrleansDistrict.

First Class MailPostage & Fees Paid

U. S. Army Corps of EngineersNew Orleans District

Permit No. 80

Department of the ArmyNew Orleans District, Corps of EngineersP.O. Box 60267New Orleans, LA 70160-0267Attn:PublicAffairsOfficeOfficial Business

Over 900 candidates attend job fairMany wait more than 45 minutes just to get through the gates.

Although the DARM was packed from open to close, team members such as Marcia Demma still made every effort to speak with interested candidates one on one.

As with any event of this nature, getting everyone regis-tered can be a daunting task. However, Kippy Anthony and Theresa Chryssoverges were easily up to the chal-lenge.

riverside - united states army€¦ · pinpoint anne marino sat down with riverside to discuss her...

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