U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Planning A New Opportunity for Service (2004) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
1 Overview of Individual Panel Reports
1 Overview of Individual Panel Reports
Pages 11-27
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From page 11... ...
Simultaneously, environmental and taxpayer groups express concerns about these projects in Congress and in the courts, pressing for reformation and budget cuts. In connection with national-level debates over the Corps' programs and planning studies, in Section 216 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2000, the U.S.
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From page 12... ...
This increased emphasis will require support from the administration and the Congress; · The value of more thorough analyses during the early stages of Corps planning studies (the so-called "reconnaissance phase")
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From page 13... ...
It was also noted that Corps planning studies are often extremely lengthy and do not always clearly convey key assumptions, methods, costs and benefits, environmental problems and concerns, and primary stakeholder differences and conflicts. A small, summary document within every Corps planning study that reviews key issues and thus makes them more understandable by stakeholders, other agencies, and congressional staff should thus be included in every Corps planning study.
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From page 14... ...
The complexity and sophistication today within large water resources planning studies suggests that some degree of independent review by technical experts is valuable. There is a strong and direct correlation between the independence of reviewers -- in terms of both knowledge and association with a project and organizational affilia
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From page 15... ...
Examples of such independent organizations include professional science and engineering societies, the National Academy of Public Administration, a specially constituted committee of the National Research Council, or an independent federal oversight group similar to the Department of Energy's Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board. Internal reviews are appropriate for less complex and less costly planning studies, and for those that involve lower levels of risk.
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From page 16... ...
Administrative Group for Project Review Corps planning studies span a spectrum from small, relatively lowimpact projects to large, complex studies that consider a range of potentially large economic and environmental impacts. The diversity of these studies requires a flexible and comprehensive review process.
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From page 17... ...
Other Issues Results of a review should be presented to the Chief of Engineers before the final decision is made on a planning study. The review panel's report should be a public document that appears in the water resources project planning studies submitted to Congress.
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From page 18... ...
METHODS OF PLANNING AND ANALYSIS Some observers have suggested that the quality of Corps planning studies has declined over the past few decades. Reasons for this decline could include limited agency resources to effectively employ sophisticated analytical methods and models, increasing competition for engineering talent from the private sector, and a lack of clarity of planning objectives and policy direction.
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From page 19... ...
The resources and time allocated for Corps of Engineers reconnaissance studies should be commensurate with the scale and complexity of the water resources issues at hand. Among the changes in Corps planning studies projects in recent years are those mandated by the Water Resources Development Act of 1986.
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From page 20... ...
Integrated water resources planning is endorsed within the academic and engineering communities, and is supported by Corps policy and in statements from Corps leaders. Integrated water resource planning at the river basin and coastal system scale provides a framework within which trade-offs among competing objectives can be evaluated; multiple stressors, unintended consequences, and cumulative effects can be identified; and the true costs and benefits of a project can be examined in a context that incorporates the interests of all those with any substantial stake.
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From page 21... ...
Corps planning guidance has not been substantially revised for 20 years and is weighted heavily toward analytical benefit-cost analyses that are more appropriate for traditional water resources projects than for complex, multi-objective water and ecosystem projects. Planning guidance should be updated to provide more balanced and complete information on conducting integrated water systems planning within river basins and coastal systems.
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From page 22... ...
Planning studies concerned with a broader evaluation of benefits and costs are a federal interest and should be fully federally funded. To maintain local accountability and interaction, equal cost-sharing should be maintained for those portions of planning studies concerned directly with project development, including design, land acquisition, and construction.
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From page 23... ...
Moreover, in the water resources setting at the beginning of the twentyfirst century, resources and available sites for new projects are limited, and many sectors of the U.S. economy are seeking to better manage existing infrastructure (as opposed to building more and more civil works projects)
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From page 24... ...
New Emphasis in Corps' Water Project Planning and Operations The Corps began experimenting with adaptive management approaches in the early 1990s in an effort to increase operational flexibility, restore environmental benefits in some areas, and reduce conflicts. With support from its military and civilian leaders, the agency is moving forward with adaptive management in selected areas and with varying degrees of authorization and resources from Congress.
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From page 25... ...
The monitoring of physical, biological, and economic aspects of natural systems often poses substantial water resources management challenges. The ambiguities that often attend the monitoring of complex ecosystems can hinder adaptive management's cycle of action, observation, evaluation, learning, and new action.
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From page 26... ...
The preliminary stages of Corps planning studies should be strengthened for more complex and costly studies; this strengthening in a study's early stages could take the form of additional resources, time, stakeholder input, and independent review. Cost-sharing has clearly had benefits for Corps planning studies and projects, but it has also had unintended and perverse consequences that may hinder progress toward more spatially integrated water resources planning.
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From page 27... ...
These and other overarching themes reappear in this report's subsequent chapters, which elaborate on them and which identify additional considerations for improving Corps planning procedures.
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Key Terms
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