07/07/87 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Continued from page 5 COMMUNITY PROBATION: FEMA has recently de- veloped a new sanction program whereby communities can be penalized for improper ordinance administration short of a community's suspension from the NFIP. This new pro- gram is called 'community probation', and can be imple- mented when a community has failed to correct identified deficiencies within a reasonable period of time. During a probation period, flood insurance polities could continue to be purchased or renewed but all such pollcics community- wide would be subject lo a $25 surcharge or penalty. COMMUNITY SUSPENSION: Full community sus- pension from thc NFIP remains an option to FEMA should deficiencies not be corrected satisfactorily during the pro- bation period. This is similar to the denial of flood insur- ance discussed above (Section 1316), except it applies community-wide. The above-noted ramifications of improper ordinance administration arc presented here not as threats but as a reminder of the facts of life should a violation occur. The obvious way to avoid these sanctions is for local officials to understand their flood plain ordinance and administer it responsibly. Editor's Note: Tom Lutgen Is a Hydrologist III with 13 years of experience with the DNIL, DOW. Specializing in flood plain management, Tom Is Minnesota's pri- mary contact person with regards to FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program. Before taking on his present role seven years ago, Tom spent six years in the New Ulm and Metro Regional Offices as a staff hydrologist. Cottonwood River Gets A Facelift By Skip Wright What do you do with a snag ridden, log-jammed crod- lng river? One that's aggravating floods, blocking naviga- tion and has its banks slumping in. Traditionally, you channelize it, jerk the snags out and pile them on the bank or do nothing at all. All have adverse consequences. A relatively new method of river restoration is being experimented with on the Cottonwood River near New Ulna. Its called the 'Palmiter Method'. Remember it, because you're bound to hear thc name more in the future. Traditional methods of resoMng channel maintenance and streambank erosion problems include riprapping, dredging and channelization. Not only can this approach bc cost prohibitive, costing $10,000 to $50,000 per mile, but may also have adverse environmental impacts including, but not limited to: lost stream habitat and diversit)q additional erosion; increased downstream flooding; destruction of Continued on page 7 "...Its called the Palmiter Method, Remem- ber it, because you're bound to hear the name more in the future .... " Thanks to a local-state joint effort, about 40 miles of the'Cottonwood drainage system have been successfully treated by the Palmiter method to date. The work is being done by the Redwood-Cottonwood River Control Area (RCRCA). The RCRCA is a joint powers board with repre- sentation from eight counties - Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Yellow Medicine, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood and Brown Counties. About $50,000 of the $100,000 project has been expended to date, roughly $1,300 per river mile. The RCRCA and the State Soil and Water Conservation Board have each funded 25 percent of the cost. DNrR, F'zshcries Section is providing the remaining 50 percent of the cost using RIM (Reinvest in Minnesota) monies. In general, the Palmiter Method involves, 1) clearing the channel of log jams which are causing erosion or cant obstruction to flow, 2) the strategic anchoring of brush piles and tree tops to protect eroded banks, and 3) estab- lishing vegetation on riverbanks protected with tree tops. The advantages of this method are its relatively low cost and minimum disturbance to the ecology of the waterway. Proper application of the technique requires a planning effort which includes input from fisheries biologists, hydrol- oglsts, soll conservation experts, landowners and con- tractors. You attack the weaknesses of the river and respect its strengths. That's why a multi-disciplinary approach is needed. 6 Thls Is how application of the Palmlter Method looks In the fielc After the trees are secured to the bank with cable~., an attempt be made to grade back the eroded bank and re-establish natur~ vegetation. (Photo #10)