Background/Discussion
The City of Council Bluffs owns or sponsors multiple levee segments which comprise the City Federal Levee System, providing flood risk reduction from the Missouri River, Mosquito Creek, and Indian Creek. These levee systems are currently shown on FEMA floodplain maps as being accredited and are identified as providing flood risk reduction from the 100-year flood or 1% annual chance flood event.
In order to maintain the level of flood risk reduction identified on the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map, it is necessary to provide documentation to FEMA that complies with the criteria of Title 44 CFR Section 65.10. If documentation, certified by a professional engineer, is not provided to FEMA, the levee systems will be de-accredited and FEMA will map flood hazard areas landward of the levee accordingly. Some areas previously shown as provided flood risk reduction by the levee systems may be identified as flood-prone.
In order to meet the criteria for FEMA levee accreditation, improvements to each of the levee systems will be necessary. Necessary projects are nearing completion for the levee segment along the Missouri River, north of I-80. This segment of levee is identified as Alignment “A”.
Now that the improvements are nearly complete for Alignment “A”, the engineer (JEO) is preparing the certification package to submit to FEMA with all supporting documentation to accredit this segment of levee. An adopted Operation and Maintenance Manual is a necessary part of the submittal.
The City will be responsible to ensure that all operations and maintenance activities are performed according to the requirements of the O&M document.
The O&M manual is a living document that must be regularly updated to account for modifications that occur on or near the levee system. As improvements are constructed, the modifications will be reflected as part of routine updates to the manual.
A complete copy of the current version of the manual is on file with the City Clerk.