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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Committee to Assess the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Project Planning Procedures

Water Science and Technology Board

Commission on Geosciences, Environment, and Resources

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.
1999

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Contract No. DACW-72-96-C-0005 between the National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 99-60701 

International Standard Book Number 0-309-06097-4

Additional copies of this report are available from:
National Academy Press
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Cover by Van Nguyen, National Academy Press, using a photo from the South Florida Water Management District (http://www.sfwmd.gov).

Copyright 1999 © by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
×

COMMITTEE TO ASSESS THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS WATER RESOURCES PROJECT PLANNING PROCEDURES

DAVID H. MOREAU, Chair,

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

FRED P. BOSSELMAN,

IIT, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois

RICHARD T. CARSON, Jr.,

University of California, San Diego

JEANNE NIENABER CLARKE,

University of Arizona, Tucson

LEO M. EISEL,

McLaughlin Water Engineers, Denver, Colorado

WILFORD R. GARDNER,

University of California, Berkeley

RICHARD F. GORINI,

J. Simmons Group, Houston, Texas

CONSTANCE E. HUNT,

World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C.

RAY B. KRONE,

University of California, Davis

ANN L. RILEY,

Waterways Restoration Institute, Berkeley, California

RICHARD E. SPARKS,

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

BORY STEINBERG,

Steinberg and Associates, McLean, Virginia

DOUGLAS C. WOOLLEY,

Radford University, Radford, Virginia

Staff

JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Study Director

ELLEN A. DE GUZMAN, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
×

WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD

HENRY J. VAUX, Jr., Chair,

University of California, Oakland

CAROL A. JOHNSTON, Vice Chair,

University of Minnesota, Duluth

RICHELLE ALLEN-KING,

Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

JOHN S. BOYER,

University of Delaware, Lewes

JOHN BRISCOE,

The World Bank, Washington, D.C.

DENISE FORT,

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

EVILLE GORHAM,

University of Minnesota, St. Paul

CHARLES D. D. HOWARD,

Charles Howard and Associates, Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia

WILLIAM A. JURY,

University of California, Riverside

WILLIAM M. LEWIS, JR.,

University of Colorado, Boulder

GARY S. LOGSDON,

Black & Veatch, Cincinnati, Ohio

RICHARD LUTHY,

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh

JOHN W. MORRIS,

J.W. Morris, Ltd., Arlington, Virginia

CHARLES R. O'MELIA,

The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

PHILIP A. PALMER,

E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Wilmington, Delaware

REBECCA T. PARKIN,

The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

JOAN B. ROSE,

University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, Florida

ERIC F. WOOD,

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey

Staff

STEPHEN D. PARKER, Director

JACQUELINE A. MACDONALD, Associate Director

CHRIS ELFRING, Senior Staff Officer

LAURA J. EHLERS, Staff Officer

JEFFREY W. JACOBS, Staff Officer

MARK GIBSON, Research Associate

JEANNE AQUILINO, Administrative Associate

ANITA A. HALL, Administrative Assistant

ELLEN A. DE GUZMAN, Senior Project Assistant

KIMBERLY SWARTZ, Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
×

COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES

GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,

University of Virginia, Charlottesville

PATRICK R. ATKINS,

Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

JERRY F. FRANKLIN,

University of Washington, Seattle

B. JOHN GARRICK,

PLG, Inc., Newport Beach, California

THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

DEBRA KNOPMAN,

Progressive Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.

KAI N. LEE,

Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts

JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts

RICHARD A. MESERVE,

Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.

HUGH C. MORRIS,

Canadian Global Change Program, Delta, British Columbia

RAYMOND A. PRICE,

Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario

H. RONALD PULLIAM,

University of Georgia, Athens

THOMAS C. SCHELLING,

University of Maryland, College Park

VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,

Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida

E-AN ZEN,

University of Maryland, College Park

MARY LOU ZOBACK,

United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California

Staff

ROBERT M. HAMILTON, Executive Director

GREGORY H. SYMMES, Associate Executive Director

JEANETTE SPOON, Administrative & Financial Officer

SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate

MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
×

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
×

Preface

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, like many other federal agencies, is a large, complex organization driven by executive and legislative directives, as well as its own traditions. It is also an organization in transition, moving from its traditional role as a leader in engineering solutions to the nation's flood and other water-related problems to a new role as a cooperative partner with nonfederal entities and addressing diverse, new priorities.

Our committee was charged to review the Corps' planning procedures, consider the necessity for a major evaluation of the federal Principles and Guidelines, assess the implications of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, and comment upon the impacts of the use of risk and uncertainty analysis in Corps planning. Through the course of this study, it became clear to the committee that many desired improvements to the Corps' planning process can only be pursued in the context of broader, federal policy considerations. Moreover, at its first meeting the committee was encouraged by Assistant Secretary of the Army, Martin Lancaster, to "think outside the box" and assume a broad view of Corps planning. Our committee thus chose to consider some additional issues regarding the Corps' planning process, such as basinwide and regional planning and the Corps' environmental restoration activities.

Our task was complicated by the numerous views about how the Corps does business. Traditional stories and anecdotes about the Corps abound. Many are true and supported by evidence; some are probably true but lacking documentation; others are probably untrue. Given our committee's diversity and wide range of perspectives, we spent considerable time trying to separate fact from fiction. In some instances were we able to do so. In others, a lack of time and resources limited our investigation, and we concluded by recommending to the Corps that they investigate the issues in greater depth.

Our report does not call for radical changes in Corps planning procedures, although we do recommend several steps to modernize planning concepts and techniques. Several steps within the Corps' planning process require detailed engineering, environmental, and economic analyses. These procedures are inherently time-consuming and cannot be significantly streamlined without compromising their quality. While opportunities exist for the Corps to further reduce the length of its planning process, the committee found that the Corps' planning procedures are generally not excessively lengthy.

While the committee's charge was restricted to a review of domestic activities, the Corps has also worked overseas and with foreign water resources

Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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planners, a tradition that continues today. The Corps should be encouraged to continue its cooperative efforts in international water planning, whether they involve overseas project planning or hosting foreign scientists at Corps research centers. The Corps should especially seek to apply the same high standards of project analysis in its international programs that it uses in its domestic efforts.

Although several factors made our task difficult, a number of individuals made our task easier. Ed Dickey, former Chief of Planning for the Corps, informed us, encouraged us, and at times corrected us. Bob Daniel at Corps headquarters was very helpful in providing information and arranging interactions with Corps personnel in the districts and research organizations. John D'Anello and Raleigh Leef from Corps headquarters provided important input and advice. Kyle Schilling from the Corps' Institute for Water Resources also provided guidance. We also owe our thanks to literally dozens of other Corps of Engineers employees, too numerous to mention individually, who provided presentations and logistical support at the committee's various meetings and field trips across the country. Our thanks also go to Mike Slimak from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who provided a presentation to the committee at its meeting in Washington, DC in October 1997. Thanks also go to Tom MacVicar of MacVicar, Frederico, and Lamb, and Holly Stoerker of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, who spoke to the committee at its West Palm Beach, FL meeting in February 1998. We also wish to thank Jack Morris, former Chief of Engineers and a current member of the Water Science and Technology Board, for attending the committee's meetings and providing valuable advice and oversight.

Our work would not have been possible without the excellent staff of the Water Science and Technology Board. Steve Parker, Director of the Board, provided logistical support and overall direction of the project. Gary Krauss gave us excellent support while he was with the Board, but the heavy duty work fell to Jeffrey Jacobs, especially during the project's final stages when we had to assemble a coherent report from disparate parts and respond to the reviewers' many insightful comments. Ellen de Guzman's assistance with logistics and her work in pulling together the various manuscripts and revising them are greatly appreciated. Our committee thanks them all for their assistance.

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The contents of the review and draft manuscripts remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report: David Kennedy, California Department of Water Resources; Carol Johnston, University of Minnesota Natural Resources Research Institute; Debra Knopman, Progressive Policy Institute; Rutherford Platt, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; Peter Rogers, Harvard University; Theodore M. Schad, consultant, Arlington, Virginia; Leonard Shabman, Virginia Polytechnical Institute; and Juan Valdés, University of Arizona.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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Although the individuals listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

DAVID H. MOREAU

CHAIR

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. New Directions in Water Resources Planning for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6128.
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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has long been one of the federal government's key agencies in planning the uses of the nation's waterways and water resources. Though responsible for a range of water-related programs, the Corps's two traditional programs have been flood damage reduction and navigation enhancement. The water resource needs of the nation, however, have for decades been shifting away from engineered control of watersheds toward restoration of ecosystem services and natural hydrologic variability. In response to these shifting needs, legislation was enacted in 1990 which initiated the Corps's involvement in ecological restoration, which is now on par with the Corps's traditional flood damage reduction and navigation roles.

This book provides an analysis of the Corps's efforts in ecological restoration, and provides broader recommendations on how the corps might streamline their planning process. It also assesses the impacts of federal legislation on the Corps planning and projects, and provides recommendations on how relevant federal policies might be altered in order to improve Corps planning. Another important shift affecting the Corps has been federal cost-sharing arrangements (enacted in 1986), mandating greater financial participation in Corps water projects by local co-sponsors. The book describes how this has affected the Corps-sponsor relationship, and comments upon how each group must adjust to new planning and political realities.

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