Flood Risk Management

The Southwestern Division’s Flood Risk Management program reduces the risk to life and property from floods and coastal storms. The program includes 88 flood damage reduction reservoirs with more than 33 million acre-feet of storage and over 1,313 miles of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levees. Cumulative flood damages prevented by these projects exceed $95 billion.

The Division’s Levee Safety Program covers levee systems typically built by the Corps but operated and maintained by local sponsors. Responsibilities include inspecting and assessing levee and floodwall reliability; communicating risks to life, property, and the environment; assisting communities in flood fighting; and developing and sharing advanced tools, standards, and approaches to improve understanding of levee risks and how to address them.

The Dam Safety Program prioritizes life safety above all other objectives and emphasizes open communication of risks to the public and stakeholders. The program ensures all dams are designed, constructed, operated, and maintained as safely and effectively as possible. At the region’s 88 multi-purpose dams, this includes routine inspections, while the Dam Safety Production Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, conducts non-routine activities such as Dam Safety Modification Studies to identify measures that reduce risk to the public.