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Larson Testifies at Senate Committee Hearing on Flood Control Infrastructure

ASFPM Policy Advisor Larry Larson testified March 1 on flood control infrastructure before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. The hearing was convened after the near
auxiliary spillway failure at Oroville Dam in California.

A good majority of Larson’s testimony focused on the fact that the public is not aware of “residual risk” when living or working near dams until law enforcement bangs on their doors at 2 a.m. telling them to evacuate (as happened recently to 188,000 people who live near Oroville Dam). He also testified about aging flood control infrastructure and lack of maintenance
funding; the often ignored nonstructural approaches available for flood control; and that mapping of flood risk areas is “woefully incomplete” and will require a major commitment of resources to update.

Larson said after the hearing he was encouraged by the fact that there seems to be broad concern and recognition that our infrastructure is in “pretty bad shape” and that investment in rehabilitation or removal is needed. Some other takeaways from the hearing include an overall agreement that accurate and updated flood maps are the key component of infrastructure and
need to be completed for the nation; national standards for levees and dam design and construction is sorely needed; and there seems to be a misunderstanding that the federal government can fix all these problems. However, he did say that there seems to be a new understanding by the Senate Committee members that states are the ones with authority to address dam and levee safety. You can watch the hearing here, and read ASFPM’s written testimony here.

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