PROGRAMS AND PLANS--Policy and Guidelines for Documentation and Reporting of Flood Events
In Reply Refer To:
Office of Surface Water
Mail Stop 415
Sunset Date: June 8, 2005
July 20, 2000
WATER RESOURCES DIVISION POLICY MEMORANDUM NO. 2000.12
Subject: PROGRAMS AND PLANS--Policy and Guidelines for Documentation and Reporting of Flood Events
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide policy and guidance to U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division (WRD) districts
regarding their flood responsibilities before, during, and after riverine
flooding. The memorandum also provides districts with cost-accounting and
cost-recovery procedures for their flood-related expenditures.
Historically, WRD districts have assumed responsibility for documenting
and reporting the occurrence, magnitude, and frequency of extreme
hydrologic events in the United States. Much of this work was frequently
supplemented with redirected and reserve Federal funding along with other
Federal, State, and local agency offerings. However, a number of recent
changes, both external and internal, require WRD to re-evaluate its
policies and guidelines for documenting significant flood events.
Specific changes that led to this re-evaluation include:
-expectation that USGS disseminate near real-time flood data and
flood summaries on the World Wide Web,
-increased expectation of USGS participation in flood response
programs by cooperators, emergency management agencies, and other
customers,
-rapidly growing importance of direct media interaction by USGS field
offices,
-long-term reductions in budget and staffing at nearly all levels of
government, and
-much more restrictive rules and procedures for WRD cost accounting.
Attachment 1 to this memorandum describes WRD district office
responsibilities in preparing for and responding to floods. Flood events
have been grouped into three categories for the purpose of describing
products and services that districts are expected to provide for each
category of flood.
The national guidelines and procedures for tracking flood expenses, which
are described in Attachment 2, will allow districts to track events and to
handle two types of costs for each event: those incurred to provide
"Continuity of Service" and "Analyses of Risk." Specific accounting data
will be used by WRD district, regional, and headquarters offices to track
the costs of flood response; to determine district reimbursements for
response costs; and to quickly provide information for the preparation of
requests for congressional supplemental appropriations.
Over the past few years, there have been significant problems in obtaining
adequate funds to cover the costs of districts' responses to widespread
major flood events. This funding shortfall has resulted in inadequate
documentation and reporting on some major floods and, in some cases,
substantial unexpected costs to districts. The increase in Hydrologic
Networks and Analysis budget line item for real-time hazards in FY 2000
allows us to establish a modest $250,000 reserve for responding to extreme
events, including both floods and droughts. This reserve will help
support the activities identified in Attachment 1. Our budget request for
FY 2001 will allow us to set aside $500,000. This is still less than the
$1.5 million needed for a vibrant reserve, however, it will enable the
districts to respond to floods knowing reserve funds are available.
It is the intent of the division to continue to use existing funding
mechanisms, as well as the new reserve to support flood activities. The
existing mechanisms include: continuing to have districts responsible for
costs of Category I and lesser floods, requesting supplemental
appropriations from Congress for repairing and replacing damaged
instruments and structures, and preparing requests and proposals for
reimbursable funding from other agencies for work beyond the WRD mission
priorities.
Implementation of the new flood policies and guidelines throughout the WRD
is important. WRD must clearly communicate to employees, customers, and
the public the agency's role in flood response; and provide a viable
long-term plan for the funding of flood-related expenditures.
/signed by Catherine L.
Hill, Acting/
Robert M. Hirsch
Chief Hydrologist
2 Attachments
Distribution: A, B, FO, PO
This memorandum supersedes WRD Memorandum No. 87.29, dated February 11,
1987.
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* Robert M. Hirsch
* Associate Director for Water
* 409 National Center rhirsch@usgs.gov
* U.S. Geological Survey 703-648-5215
* Reston, VA 20192 fax 703-648-7031
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