The High Water Mark - Volume 33, Issue 1

THE HIGH WATER MARK

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION

2023 - Volume 33, Issue 1

THE HIGH WATER MARK

The Newsletter of the Floodplain Management Association

February 2023 - Volume 33, Issue 1

Mission: To promote the common interest in reducing flood losses and to encourage the protection and enhancement of natural floodplain values.

Chair Mike Nowlan Wood Rodgers, Inc. 916.326.5277

Vice Chair

Brent Siemer City of Simi Valley 805.583.6805

Treasurer

Connie Perkins-Gutowsky California DWR 916.973.3008

Secretary Vince Geronimo Geronimo Engineering 415.652.6667

Past Chair

Alex Yescas HDR, Inc. 858-712-8283

Director

Abigail Mayrena Clark County RFCD 702-685-0000

Director

John Moynier Parsons Corporation

Director

Wendy Wang

Central Valley Flood Protection Board

Director

Brian Brown California DWR

Director

Darren Suen Central Valley Flood Protection Board 916.574.0609

Director

Millicent Cowley-Crawford Woodard & Curran 415.321.3421

Director

Hilal ElHaddad Riverside County Flood Control and Water

Director

Pat Wood Los Angeles County DPW 626.458-6131

Director

Roger Leventhal Marin County DPW 415.473.3249

Director

Megan LeRoy California DWR

Director

David Smith WEST Consultants, Inc. 858.487.9378

Advisor

Kelly Soule California DWR 916.574.1205

Advisor

Jose Lara

CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services 916.845.8883

Advisor

Stefani Lukashov California Geological Survey 916.445.1825

Advisor

Salomon Miranda California DWR 818.549.2347

Advisor

Jayme Laber NOAA

Advisor

Eric Simmons FEMA Region IX 510.627.7029

Advisor

Erin Warnock Nevada DWR 775.684.2890

Advisor

Jeanne Ruefer HWC, Inc. 775.722.7395

Advisor

Carol Tyau-Beam Hawaii DLNR 808.587.0267

Executive Director

Brittany Jimenez FMA 323.347.1207

A NOTE FROM THE CHAIR

Michael Nowlan

Cheers everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to get back to business! I trust you are all aware of our new Executive Director, Brittany Jimenez, starting at the beginning of 2023. For those of you who want to know more, she has written an introduction that can be found later in this newsletter. That means, of course, that our beloved Mary Seits has closed out her tenure with FMA, but we hope to see her in the future on occasion, as she still has many close ties with many of us in FMA. Brittany will be your point of contact for FMA moving forward and she is ready to field your questions/issues as we prepare for upcoming events, not the least of which is our next conference in Los Angeles at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites. We have begun our planning process for shaping the character of our 2023 conference with the selection of our three co-chairs (Alan Haynes (NOAA), MD Haque (CA DWR) and Patricia Wood (LA DPW)) and holding bi-weekly meetings (online/virtually). We can always use more help if you haven’t already joined the meetings so far, so contact Brittany if you’re interested. Everything, from the conference theme, to the different ideas for panels and field trips, needs to be discussed and refined as we approach September. While much of

the conference and panel discussions can be planned collaboratively, a large part of our conference also allows for the opportunity to deliver or attend technical presentations. We want to make sure we provide meaningful content and exciting opportunities for all of our conference attendees, whether they are more policydriven or tech-driven individuals. We will be sending out a call for abstracts in the near future, so keeps your eyes open and think about how you can contribute to the conversation.

As your chair, I have mentioned several times that it is my desire to bring clarity as it relates to all of duties of the board positions, and the process for becoming nominated and serving on the Board of Directors. I plan on presenting more detailed “job” descriptions at our next Board Meeting (in March) and communicating about this process in great detail in the next newsletter (in May). I may provide links to the job descriptions so there isn’t too much detail for those who prefer a more overview level of discussion in the newsletter. It is all in hopes of being transparent and inclusive on the whole issue, so you can see what is involved and hopefully be encouraged to contribute. This is strategically placed before nominations and voting!

We have made great progress on several other fronts, but I don’t want to steal anyone’s thunder. This newsletter contains some great information on our new scholarship program and our Emerging Professionals committee. We are also working on the issue of diversity/equity/inclusion and infusing our conference with this important topic. As many of you probably know, this issue can often involve some level of sponsorship to overcome any inequities. As it has been pointed out to me by others, most people attending the conference are getting paid to do so. So, with respect to inclusion and access, the financial hurdle can be one of the biggest ones. To that end I look forward to hearing your input on how to fly past this hurdle and all other hurdles to get the voices of our disadvantaged communities heard and valued as we plan for the future and work towards the goal of equity.

SAVE THE DATE

California Extreme Precipitation Symposium

June 27, 2023 - "Water Management Options for Adapting to California Droughts and Floods"

(Location TBD)

FMA Annual Conference

September 5-8, 2023

Westin Bonaventure Hotel – Los Angeles, CA

Our luncheons continue to thrive in Sacramento, and we have many great speakers, thanks to Carl Walker and George Booth! I encourage any of you to take up the challenge in other major cities within our region. I will personally help you get your ideas off the ground. More collaborative discussion should be rewarding, with better results for everyone.

Last, but not least, I hope you are all staying safe and dry during the remainder of this wet season. Some of us have been hit harder than others. No doubt there will be much to talk about, and share, come September!

Thanks for supporting FMA!

Mike Nowlan

For an update of the latest disaster declarations: CLICK HERE

For information on Flood Insurance Reform – Rates and Refunds: CLICK HERE

Advisor Update

FEMA Updates for FMA Board:

• Flood damage in January 2023 with nine back-to-back atmospheric rivers has resulted in a major disaster declaration including 29 California counties (DA-4683-CA, map below shows designated areas). Public assistance helps state and local governments with emergency response, recovery, and mitigation costs. Residents in more counties may become eligible for federal disaster assistance to support recovery efforts as officials finish assessing damages. Unfortunately, the lack of insurance coverage will worsen disaster suffering.

• The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has been extended until September 30, 2023, without legislative reform the past five years. All flood insurance policies and renewals under the NFIP continue to transition to updated Risk Rating 2.0 rates. Previously grandfathered rates are on a glidepath to a full-risk premium. New flood insurance under the NFIP is written at full-risk rates since October 2021.

• Funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program more than doubled to nearly $2.3 billion this year while Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) sees an increase to $800 million. This year’s application period closed on January 27, 2023.

• A notice of funding opportunity, or NOFO, for the new Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) revolving loan fund program describes $50 million being available from FEMA this first year. The application period is open February through April.

• FEMA published updated standards and guidance for the Risk MAP program online

California

Changing Climate, Shift to More Extreme Weather Intensify Risk of Flooding in California

California’s shift to a hotter and drier climate is intensifying flood risk across the state and demands action, even during ongoing drought.

https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2022/ Dec-22/Changing-Climate-Shift-to-More-ExtremeWeather-Intensify-Risk-of-Flooding-in-California

Second Snow Survey Reflects Boost from Atmospheric Rivers

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today conducted the second snow survey of the season at Phillips Station.

https://water.ca.gov/News/News-Releases/2023/ Feb-23/Second-Snow-Survey-Reflects-Boost-fromAtmospheric-Rivers

Challenges of Forecasting Water Supply During Extreme Weather Events

The series of devastating storms in January 2023 demonstrated how quick California can move between extreme conditions as the looming threat of worsening drought conditions gave way to flooding impacts across the state and one of the largest snowpacks in 30 years.

https://water.ca.gov/News/Blog/2023/Feb-23/ Challenges-of-Forecasting-Water-Supply-DuringExtreme-Weather-Events

Video: Capturing Water from Storms to Replenish Groundwater

DWR is committed to expediting groundwater recharge; like this project in Dunnigan, Yolo County, which is providing multiple benefits, including capturing excess water from recent storms, recharging the groundwater basin and providing habitat for migrating birds.

https://water.ca.gov/News/Blog/2023/Jan-23/ Capturing-Water-from-Storms-to-Replenish-Groundwater

DWR’s Innovative Underground Aquifer Mapping Project Reaches Major Milestone: Data Now Available for Entire Central Valley

DWR's innovative Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey Project has now released AEM data for the entire Central Valley of California, marking a major milestone for the program.

https://water.ca.gov/News/Blog/2023/Feb-23/ DWRs-Innovative-Underground-Aquifer-MappingProject-Reaches-Major-Milestone

Hawaii

See the latest news stories relating to Hawaii’s floodplain management issues. For the transformed flood information platform from Hawaii visit their exciting weekly blog at https://waihalana.hawaii.gov/ Some of the latest postings relate to hurricane preparedness, stewarding our environment, and Flood Insurance. For archived Wai Halana Newsletters (prior to 2018) https://dlnreng.hawaii.gov/nfip/wai-halana/

Nevada

The Nevada Floodplain Management Program held our 9th annual Nevada Flood Awareness Week in November 13th-19th, 2022. We participated in person outreach events in Northern Nevada at locations including Carson City, Douglas County and Storey County. We shared lots of great information via social media on Nevada Floods on Facebook- follow us if you’re not already! We had an ad featured in Northern Nevada’s free quarterly magazine Growing Up Reno Tahoe. Governor Sisolak officially Proclaimed Nevada Flood Awareness Week and some of our local communities including Carson City and Storey County officially proclaimed Nevada Flood Awareness Week as well. We provided an article about Flood Awareness for Lander County’s local newsletter, which is something we are happy to do anytime for our communities to help extend outreach efforts.

Nevada Silver Jackets projects (interagency efforts between the US Army Corp and State Floodplain Management partners) are still underway along with some newly awarded projects and drafting the FY24 Project Proposals. In September we hosted an in person Nevada Flood Mitigation and Funding Opportunities Workshop in Washoe County. Then in October we hosted a condensed version virtually. We will be offering the final workshop of this specific series on February 23, 2023 from 1:00pm-5:00pm in person at the Clark County Regional Flood Control office

in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you would like to attend the upcoming Flood Mitigation and Funding Opportunities Workshop please email Nvsilverjackets@usace.army. mil to register. In November we hosted a virtual Nevada Watershed University Summit which had a focus on Floodplain Management in Arid Regions. This was a very informational and well attended event so we decided to propose something similar for a future project. Additionally, ongoing Silver Jackets projects have included the development of an informational pamphlet for teachers that summarize all of the standard classroom curriculum we have created to go hand in hand with our virtual outreach materials. This pamphlet and all other materials will then be accessible on our website; Nevadafloods.org. Lastly the Nevada Silver Jackets have prepared a draft Floodplain Management Plan for South Fork dam in Elko County with the goal of this being an example for applicants applying for funding from FEMA’s the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) grant program. Newly awarded projects include a Comprehensive High Watermark Campaign that entails working with communities to create high watermark signage that also ties back to more in depth information on our website Nevadafloods.org with hopefully an interactive map that will continue to grow with high watermark locations and information. The other latest project is the Nevada Arid Region EAP which will kick-off during out semi-annual Nevada Silver Jackets meeting on February 7, 2023.

MEET THE BOARD - Roger Leventhal

FMA would like to introduce you to one of our newer members of the Board.

I am currently working as a Senior Engineer with Marin County Flood Control District, a small local agency. I came to this job after approximately 25 years working as a private consultant, 12 years running my own firm focusing primarily on the analysis, design and implementation of creek and wetlands restoration and multi-benefit flood control projects. At the County, I currently lead technical studies related to sea level rise and climate change adaptation and focus on the challenges of improving flood protection to low lying communities under current and future conditions. I know firsthand the difficulties of working engineers to design and permit flood control projects in a regulatory world where habitat concerns are first and foremost, and finally to try and find funding for what are typically expensive projects. I am also working on several nature-based design projects including constructed beaches as an alternative to rip-rap for shoreline erosion and thin-lift dredge sediment placement for wetlands restoration, as well as new approaches to both the design and construction of dredging of tidal channels.

My BS is in Geology (geomorphology) from UCSB and I got a Masters in Hydraulic and Coastal Engineering from UC Berkeley. I am also serving as appointed as a member of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) sea level rise adaptation planning work being conducted by their Adapting to Rising Tides (ART) project.

CALL FOR ARTICLES!

The FMA Newsletter welcomes the input of its members and now our extended family of readership to contribute to the conversation! Keep the great articles coming! We need to hear from all of you. There’s always room for more to join the ranks of published authors. Showcase your programs, projects, tools, policies, regulations or ideas to hundreds of floodplain management professionals throughout the U.S.! Articles must be submitted in Word format to bjimenez@floodplain.org and may contain 2-3 small pictures. Preferred length is less than 850 words.

For more details call (323)347-1207.

THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS.

AND THERE IS A NEW WAY TO DO THINGS.

AND SOMETIMES THEY’RE EXACTLY THE SAME THING.

WWW. WOODRODGERS .COM

MEET OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR!

Brittany Jimenez

Dear FMA Community,

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be your new Executive Director! I have enjoyed connecting with many of you in my first few weeks and appreciate everyone’s warm welcome. I come to FMA with over 15 years of experience working in higher education administration in a university setting, most recently as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at the USC Thornton School of Music. During my time at the Thornton School, I helped create and produce numerous in-person and virtual events, presented hundreds of information sessions for students and families, and collaborated with dozens of faculty, staff, and campus partners. I’m excited to bring my experience in event planning, collaboration and building meaningful partnerships to FMA.

I also understand the important role that committees and volunteers play in an organization’s success. While at the Thornton School, I was part of the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee and I also served as Chair of the Thornton Staff Council and Secretary for the Independent Consortium on College Admissions in Music (ICCAM). It is my involvement in this particular organization that makes me excited about the opportunity to support an organization like FMA. I believe organizations like FMA are a vital component to one’s job satisfaction by providing a sense of community, professional development, and opportunities to share one’s knowledge and skills to impact positive change.

Outside of work, I’m a musician, having played bassoon for over 20 years, and a big fan of the arts, books, sports, the beach, and my family. I look forward to learning more about each of you, your passions, and the amazing work you’re doing for the world of floodplain management. Don’t hesitate to contact me at bjimenez@floodplain.org or (323)3471207 if I can ever be of assistance and I’ll see you in September at the conference!

Cheers,

Natomas Levee

Folsom Dam

San Vicente Dam

Vista Narrows

RECENT ACTIVITIES AT NOAA’S CALIFORNIA NEVADA RIVER FORECAST CENTER

Alan Haynes, Hydrologist in Charge, NOAA/NWS/CNRFC

New Forecast Locations & Recalibrations

The California Nevada River Forecast Center (CNRFC) added several new forecast points on the Central California Coast and one in Southern California:

• Uvas Reservoir

• Upper Penitencia Creek

• Chesboro Reservoir

• Lake Elsman

• Coyote Creek near Highway 237

• New River at Westmoreland

The CNRFC performs re-calibrations yearly on its watersheds on a rotating basis. Recalibrations performed in the summer of 2022 focused on watersheds on the Northern California Coast, the Klamath basin and the Santa Ana basin.

Expansion of Forecast Locations for the Hydrologic Ensemble Forecast Service (HEFS)

The CNRFC added 44 new HEFS locations in the following geographic areas:

• Central Coast including the Salinas

• Lower San Joaquin to Vernalis

• Lower Feather including Yuba City and Nicolaus

• Whitewater River in the Coachella Valley

HEFS Documentation

The CNRFC enhanced its documentation on interpreting HEFS graphics: https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/documentation/ hefsShortRangePeakCapabilities.php

Links were also added to additional HEFS information:

• informational videos produced by COMET/ MetED and available on YouTube

• a detailed document describing the implementation of HEFS at the CNRFC

• general theory for ensemble streamflow forecasts

• instructions on creating “build your own” HEFS graphics

• a review of current limitations of HEFS

These links are available on the CNRFC HEFS page: https://www.cnrfc.noaa.gov/hefs.php

Updated Multi-Year Accumulation Plots

The CNRFC makes multi-year accumulation plots that account for the past two years of accumulated runoff volume plus the probabilistic forecast volume for the current water year. These plots illustrate any cumulative deficits/excesses over the past two years with the current year forecast added to the mix. An example graphic is shown below for inflow to Lake Oroville:

This graphic shows that the three-year cumulative runoff volume ending September 30th, 2023 into Lake Oroville (Full Natural Flow) is likely to fall well above the record low three-year volume of 7670 kaf but below the mean volume of 16400 kaf.

New Hydrologic Forecaster Selection

The CNRFC selected Michael Hittle for a hydrologic forecaster position. Mike previously worked at the Sacramento District of the US Army Corps of Engineers as a hydrologist and previous to that he worked for Kings Canyon NP and a variety of other outdoor environmentally-focused positions. Mike has a BS degree in Environmental Physical Science from Black Hills State University and an MS degree in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Hydrology and Water Security from the University of Oklahoma Online Campus.

CW3E Meteorologist Embedded in CNRFC/DWR Operations

The CA Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) has contracted Chad Hecht, a meteorologist from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) to be embedded in joint NWS/DWR river forecast operations at the Joint Operations Center (JOC). The goal of this embedded position is to facilitate Research to Operations (R2O) and Operations to Research between river forecast operations and the research community at CW3E.

Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology (CIROH)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a relatively new cooperative institute to facilitate research to operations in hydrology called CIROH. The NWS river forecast community is partnering with the institute to tackle science and research and development issues associated with hydrologic prediction. A call went out for proposals in the fall of 2022 and these proposals are currently being evaluated and approved proposals will be announced and granted funding in early 2023.

Series of Atmospheric River Storms Strike California

A series of about five Atmospheric River (AR) weather systems hit California starting just after Christmas in 2022 and persisting until mid-January. ARs are winter storms that tap into significant, but narrowlyfocused tropical moisture and dump copious amounts of precipitation where they land. Over a threeweek period, these storms dropped 15-20 inches of precipitation over much of the coastal mountains from Northern CA into the Santa Ynez range near Santa Barbara and also over the Sierra Nevada, where much of it fell as snow in the higher elevations. As of late January, the statewide snow water content averaged nearly 220% of average to date, or about 125% of the April 1st average. The northern part of California’s Central Valley received in excess of ten inches of rain while the southern part of the Central Valley received about 3-6 inches. The coastal plain from Los Angeles to San Diego received 6-8 inches, while the mountains picked up 10-15 inches. The excessive rainfall caused flooding on Coastal River Systems from near Arcata to San Diego and brought

the Salinas River above flood stage for the first time since 1995. Flooding was also extensive in the Central Valley of California, mainly for the smaller creeks and streams. Water levels were high in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, but mostly stayed below flood stage except for some minor exceedances on the Upper Sacramento. The largest reservoirs in Northern CA mainly did not need to engage flood releases due to years of draw-down, but they did gain significant storage. For example, both Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville gained about a million acre-feet of storage and built up the snowpack in the upper watersheds. Heavy rains brought Folsom Lake above the flood pool prompting large reservoir releases up to 35,000 cfs. Lake Cachuma near Santa Barbara rose about 40 feet in less than two days at one point in January, and gained about 130,000 acre-ft since the first of the year. The CNRFC meteorologists will publish a storm summary this summer for this series of storms on the CNRFC website

FROM DROUGHT TO FLOODING – PRACTICES FOR LOCAL FLOOD AGENCIES DURING EMERGENCIES

In the first half of January 2023, California experienced an unprecedented series of atmospheric river storms that put the northern California area nearly 140% of average precipitation for the end of January, on the heels of a significant multi-year drought. While large reservoirs filled relatively quickly and pleased water supply agencies, the storms and related downpours presented significant challenges for local levee systems, whose maintaining agencies had to react quickly to fast-changing conditions that threatened public health and safety. This article addresses the challenges small local maintaining agencies face during flood-related incidents, and summarizes legal requirements and best practices for recouping money spent to respond to emergencies.

Throughout northern California levees are maintained by hundreds of public agencies of all shapes and sizes, from the well-funded State of California to small landowner-run reclamation districts with minimal staff and resources. As was widely reported in early January, a levee maintained by Reclamation District 800 in Sacramento County breached in multiple places during the storms. Reclamation District 800 has an annual budget of about $500,000; the costs of addressing damages as they were occurring, and to permanently fix the breached levee system there, dwarf that amount. Not only did the district have to respond to damages to the levee during the storm events, but it now must navigate the maze of local, state and Federal agencies involved in disaster reimbursement for the efforts it expended to protect the public. Maintaining agencies can and should take this opportunity to learn best practices for emergency repairs and reimbursements, to best position themselves for future events.

Reimbursement for emergency repairs, and to some extent for permanent fixes, can be sought from state and Federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (for federal project levees), the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the CA Department of Water Resources, and others. The

availability and extent of such funding depends on the agency, and on the specific circumstances (for example, if a state or countywide emergency was declared).

Here are some points and best practices for local districts to consider when it comes to emergency contracting and seeking reimbursements for costs to address emergency circumstances. Local counsel should be consulted with respect to details on emergency declarations.

Local districts (including reclamation districts, levee districts and others) normally must follow public bidding processes for construction or other public works-related contracting. During emergencies, these time-consuming requirements can be streamlined if the district declares an emergency and delegates authority to enter contracts without bidding.

Local district boards must still comply with the Brown Act (which allows for emergency meetings) in order to declare emergencies and delegate authority to contract for repair work.

Most if not all disaster relief funding opportunities will require careful memorialization of decisions made during an emergency (including resolutions, meeting minutes, receipts for all expenditures, and detailed descriptions of the circumstances for an emergency declaration and steps taken to prevent or repair damage to public facilities).

County emergency services departments, with support from the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), play a “quarterback” role when it comes to seeking reimbursements for disaster-related expenditures. Therefore, a local district is well advised to contact its county emergency services office as early as possible for assistance with repair work and to build a record for a later request for reimbursement and/or funding for repairs.

Andrea P. Clark, Downey Brand LLP

Leading with Science®

Tetra Tech is pleased to be ranked #1 in Water by Engineering News-Record for 16 years in a row.

We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in every sector and to use that expertise throughout the project life cycle. Our commitment to safety is ingrained in our culture and at the forefront of every project.

FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION’S COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Vince Geronimo

Floodplain Management Association’s College Scholarship Program offers opportunities to offset the high cost of a college education and associate with professionals at our annual conference.

Floodplain Management Association is now accepting undergraduate college student applications for two $10,000 scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applications are due by May 31, 2023.

The FMA Board established the College Scholarship Program in 2022 to provide financial support and professional development opportunities to undergraduate students. FMA is proud to debut the following scholarships:

• FMA College Scholarship

Students entering their junior or senior year and pursuing a STEM focused course of study, including engineering, planning, or biological, earth and social sciences at an accredited public or private college or university in California, Nevada, or Hawaii.

The FMA Board unanimously approved the $10,000 award for the FMA College Scholarship for the 20232024 academic year. Funding is from our reserves. We could not have funded this Scholarship without our members and corporate sponsors who supported our virtual conferences during the height of COVID. The FMA Board also commissioned our new College Scholarship Committee to manage the Program. The Committee plans to host fundraisers throughout the year to raise money to fund the Program for future scholarships.

• James R. Schaaf Civil Engineering Scholarship

Undergraduate civil engineering students whose primary focus is water resources. Students must be enrolled in an accredited public or private college or university in California.

The James R. Schaaf Civil Engineering Scholarship was founded through a $10,000 contribution from the owners of Schaaf & Wheeler Consulting Civil Engineers to honor James Schaaf. The scholarship aims to support undergraduate civil engineering students enrolled in an accredited public or private college or university in California, whose primary focus is water resources with inspiration to help communities reduce their flood risk with equitable and multi-beneficial solutions.

James (Jim) Schaaf was one of FMA’s founders and a mentor for young civil engineers and water resources professionals. He was a working professional who served as an adjunct professor teaching water resources engineering courses at Stanford, Santa Clara University and San Jose State. The FMA Board and Scholarship Committee is proud to host this annual scholarship to honor Jim’s legacy and his positive impact on our Association, our field, and our lives.

Each scholarship fund will pay the recipient’s college or university directly for any tuition costs which exceed any existing financial aid or scholarships. Funds remaining after tuition payment may be used for other educational expenses, room and board in a college dormitory, or an equivalent stipend if living off campus. Other minimum eligibility criteria include:

• be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident

• graduated from high school

• participating in a 4-year undergraduate degree program

• have a cumulative Minimum Grade Point Average of 2.5 Applicants must submit complete applications by the May 31, 2023, deadline. FMA has partnered with Bold.org to host the Scholarship Applications, at no cost to our Association. Bold.org provides outreach to students interested in applying for scholarships and supports our efforts to ensure applicants meet the eligibility requirements. Visit Bold.org for more information about their services. For more information about our College Scholarship Program visit our FMA website FMA encourages those interested in a career field related to reducing the risk and impacts of floods on people and communities to apply. Addressing floods and flood risk includes the fields of floodplain management, watershed management and coastal management, and incorporates climate change, the environment, social justice, and urban and land management issues. Professionals working in the field include people in the public and private sectors and who are scientists, engineers, planners, and researchers.

The Scholarship Recipients will be invited to attend our 2023 FMA Annual Conference and receive Professional Development through the Association’s membership. Registration and travel costs to attend the annual conference will be offered to the Scholarship Recipients.

We need your assistance with candidate selection, professional development for the awardees, and fundraising for future scholarships! If you would like to participate in the FMA College Scholarship Committee or make a tax deductible donation to the Program, please contact FMA College Scholarship Committee Chair, Vince Geronimo, at vince@geronimoengineering.com

RISE CHALLENGE 2021 – 2022

The RISE Challenge engages young people in developing community resilience to environmental hazards. Young people are increasingly concerned about community resilience and combating the impact of climate change – and they want to start now. The Challenge meets this need by equipping your people to lead projects that increase their own community’s ability to both prepare and mitigate the effects of natural disasters.

In 2019, the ASFPM Foundation partnered with Earth Force and FEMA Region VIII to sponsor the Rocky Mountain Environmental Challenge (RMEC). The RMEC was a competition in Fort Collins, Colorado that combined project-based learning with the latest research in science technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. With the support of the ASFPM Foundation, the RMEC has grown into the RISE (Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, Environment) Challenge in three states and positioned to grow to several more in coming years.

The 2021-2022 RISE Challenge was held in three states: Colorado, Illinois, and Montana. Over 35 projects were submitted and 475 students were directly involved with the projects. As part of the RISE Challenge, Earth Force cultivates relationships with local government officials and community leaders for student project support and resources for educators. ASFPM Foundation representatives, along with local ASFPM members and ASFPM Chapters help engage local city and stormwater staff from involved communities. State and local stormwater professionals assist in the judging of student projects and provide local content information.

The top five projects in each state receive a dollar prize award for their project. All prize money was donated by the ASFPM Foundation. Members of the ASFPM Foundation have served as judges for the RMEC and RISE Challenge. The RISE Challenge: 2021-2022 Report can be found here

FMA EMERGING PROFESSIONALS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM 2023

Holly Callahan

What does mentorship mean to you?

“Opportunity to give back and share 20+ years of professional experience.”

“Unlocking your potential.”

“Rightsizing expectations for different phases of career.”

“Knowledge sharing.”

These were just a handful of the responses members of the FMA Emerging Professionals (EP) Mentorship Program provided when asked this question at the virtual kick off meeting on December 19, 2022.

The Mission Statement of the 2022-2023 Mentorship Program is: To develop emerging professionals into the next generation of future leaders of floodplain managers by working together with seasoned professionals to foster collaboration and guide a new generation of professionals to lead a successful future for floodplain management.

Led by the EP Mentorship Program Coordinator, Zubair Dosu, P.E., the 2022-2023 mentorship program currently includes 30 individuals from 10 private firms, 5 public agencies, and 1 university, with enrollment ongoing throughout the year. With over 35% of the members bringing 10 or more years of experience to the group and more than 51% of the participants with less than 5 years of experience in floodplain management, there is ample opportunity for knowledge to be shared!

Years of experience for members of the 2022-2023 EP Mentorship Program.

Ranging from Flood Risk Communication and Flood Planning, to Grant/Program Management and Work Life Balance, members of the Mentorship program bring a wide variety of expertise to the group. Mentors and mentees are encouraged to meet regularly one on one and to participate in both virtual and in-person events hosted by the program.

If you would like to join the 2022-2023 EP Mentorship Program, enrollment is ongoing and you can sign up on the FMA EP Website. The January 10, 2023 in person kick-off event for the Mentorship Program was postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled, so all new members may have the opportunity to join.

Additional upcoming events from the EP Committee can be found on the FMA EP Eventbrite page and include:

“Shaping the Culture of Leadership”, a collaboration between FMA Emerging Professionals and Q4 Leaders held quarterly

Friday, January 20, 2023 – Virtual Leadership Workshop Series #1: Leadership Culture is Changing: How to Stay Relevant & Adapt for the Future

Friday, April 21, 2023 – Virtual Leadership Workshop Series #2

Thursday, March 9, 2023 Virtual Lunch & Learn: Water Always Wins – Erica Gies

Thursday, March 30, 2023 – In-Person Lunch & Learn at Formation Environmental

Spring 2023 Mentorship Program Outdoor Social Event

August 2023 In Person and Virtual Mentorship Closing Events

If you are interested in joining the EP Committee, please contact Wendy Wang at: Wendy.Wang@CVFlood.ca.gov.

Area of expertise for members of the 2022-2023 EP Mentorship Program

THE HIGH WATER MARK