North America |


solutions for many of our nation’s toughest challenges both at home and abroad,” he added. The beginnings of the Civil Works mission for


USACE are based on legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President James Monroe in 1824. Over the following 200 years, Congress and administrations approved additional pieces of legislation that expanded and defined what is the current USACE civil works mission. These included: The 1928 Flood Control Act which adopted a comprehensive plan for flood control on the Lower Mississippi River, including the use of floodways and spillways in addition to levees. The 1936 Flood Control Act made flood control a federal policy and officially recognised USACE as the major federal flood control agency. The 1944 Flood Control Act authorised USACE to develop water projects in the Missouri River Valley and further authorised USACE to provide fish and wildlife management and public outdoor recreation facilities at its projects. 1986 - The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 brought major change in financing by requiring non federal contributions toward most federal water resources projects.


Below: Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River made a major contribution to Bonneville Power Administration’s recent efforts to maintain power generation during the winter


USACE said its Civil Works programme today touches millions of American lives daily through goods and products that are delivered via ports, harbours and waterways; the production of clean, renewable hydropower; water supply for residential, commercial and irrigation use; habitat for fish and wildlife; and recreational opportunities. In April 2024, USACE also announced that the first-ever comprehensive guidelines for US levees were available for public comment until 31 July 2024. The National Levee Safety Guidelines are intended to provide best practices and serve as a resource to help achieve nationwide consistency in improving the reliability of levees and the resilience of communities behind them. The National Levee Safety Programme, a joint effort between USACE and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, developed the guidelines with input from stakeholders. Topics in the draft first edition range from basic levee concepts and terminology to strategies for reducing flooding impacts to people, property, and the environment. Considerations for


climate change impacts, integrating natural and nature-based features, and the needs of under-served communities are woven throughout the document. Feedback on the scope of the National Levee Safety Guidelines from stakeholder engagement efforts over the past two years also included the need for levee vegetation management practices. USACE says that high-level best practices have been incorporated into several chapters and will be expanded in the future. “With thousands of communities across the country depending on levees to reduce impacts from flooding, this is a significant milestone,” said Tammy Conforti, USACE lead for the National Levee Safety Programme. “Levees are designed, constructed, and managed by various entities. There has been a long-standing need to have a common reference to connect all the important practices related to levees. The guidelines provide a common framework to improve public awareness and serve as a basis for continuous dialogue and improvement of practices well into the future.”


Canadian perspectives Hydro-Québec announced in February 2024 that


the modernisation of the Beauharnois–Les Cèdres complex in Canada will start with the draft design ahead of the project to overhaul Coteau-1 and Coteau-3 dams. This rehabilitation project, which is expected to start in 2029, will ensure both of the dams’ long-term operability and increase their capacity in compliance with current standards. Potential project scenarios will be assessed during the draft design, which will be completed in 2026, and includes:


Consulting local Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to develop a project that integrates their goals. Coordinating all studies required to define the technical content, constraints, permitting requirements and impacts on the environment. Developing the project execution strategy. Identifying and managing project risks. Developing schedules and project estimates.


“This draft design study is a first step towards the modernisation of the Beauharnois–Les Cèdres complex. In the decades ahead, our infrastructure renovations will require investments, and we want to involve stakeholders from the outset to ensure the


18 | June 2024 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


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