This document discusses New York's response to major storms and flooding events. It outlines training opportunities for emergency stream response following storms like Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011. The training aims to develop local capacity to properly respond to stream impacts from floods. A three-pronged approach includes raising awareness, providing education on science-based repair techniques, and sharing technical information. The goal is a well-informed emergency response that reduces environmental impacts and future flood risks.

1. Preparing for the Next
And Ever-increasing
Major Storm Event
Post-storm Emergency Stream
Response Training Opportunities
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

2. August – September 2011
August 28:
Tropical Storm
Irene
September 7:
Tropical Storm
Lee
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

3. New York’s
Flood Response
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

4. Massive flooding
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

5. Destructive Power of Moving Water
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

6. Flood Response “Triage”
• Immediate Emergency
Items
• High Priority Items
• Assessment/Repair
• Documentation and Further
Needs
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

7. Rescues
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

8. Significant infrastructure impacts
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

9. Dramatic loss of property
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

10. Disrupted stream systems
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

11. Immediate Priority Items
During or right after a flood some things must be
done, including, but not limited to:
Opening clogged bridges
Opening closed roads
Keeping important
installations functioning:
 Fire Stations  Water Wells & Systems
 Rescue Centers  Power Plants
 Hospitals  Sewage Treatment Plants
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

12. High Priority Items
 High priority items are those items that are necessary for
the first part of the cleanup process
 This includes getting channels
back into some acceptable
condition by:
– Opening clogged channels
– Putting avulsed channels back in place
– Temporarily Stabilizing actively eroding streambanks &
landslides
– Return the channel to a condition such that the natural
processes of streams can begin to return it to its natural state
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

13. Assess the Stream Channels
• To decide where to work and where not to work
• To decide where to work first
• To identify the equipment and work force that
will be required
• To identify reaches that require technical
assistance
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

14. Intervention Needs
Restore proper channel size and
shape
Re-connect floodplains
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

15. Proper channel size and shape
FP Width
BF Width
BF Depth
Bottom Width
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

16. Project Benefit
A well-informed emergency response
will:
Reduce negative environmental impacts
Reduce future flood risks
React quicker and more effectively
Save time and money
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

17. Preparations for the next event
• Need to develop capacity for responding to
storm events
• Changing climate will result in more intense
storms more frequently
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

18. Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

19. Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
Goal:
To develop capacity in New
York municipal officials,
contractors, and agency
staff to properly respond to
storm impacts to streams
and adjacent and
associated infrastructure.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

20. Project Objectives
•Develop a trained municipal employee
and contractor base
•Present science-based
emergency post-flood
stream repair techniques
•Use this knowledge to
mitigate/repair flood damaged streams
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

21. Project Objectives
• Spread this knowledge to other municipal
employees and contractors
•Develop protocol for emergency
post-flood stream intervention training
• Pilot post-flood intervention training
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

22. Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
New York’s Department of Environmental
Conservation and the Department of
Transportation have committed to working with
communities and their contractors to prepare
for future storm events.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

23. Post-storm Stream Response
Outreach and Training
This is only a first step in a long-term commitment to
outreach, education and capacity building for living
with streams.
Will also need to address:
•better land use planning
•proper implementation of flood plain management
•improved stream corridor management
•comprehensive habitat conservation
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

24. Three-prong approach to
Capacity Building
 Awareness building
 uses existing events to provide literature and/or staff
presentations to raise awareness
 Education
 actual education of municipal officials and heavy
equipment operators
 Information
 Provide basic technical information for interested
publics
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

25. Awareness Building
Raise awareness of:
 How storms affect streams and associated infrastructure
 How “typical” post-storm responses actually exacerbate
flood risks and habitat loss
 Simple steps that communities can take to properly
respond to future storm events.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

26. Awareness Building
Example of events to be attended by DEC and
DOT staff to reach municipalities and public:
 Association of Towns meeting
 Association of County Highway Superintendants
 Cornell Highway School
 Environmental Management Council
 Association of General Contractors
 Others? Suggestions?
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

27. Education
How to properly respond to stream impacts after
the flood – developing local capacity.
 Coordinate and facilitate the replication of the Delaware
County Soil and Water Conservation District training for
communities.
 Include a component to develop better understanding by
DEC and DOT staff about what worked (or not) in the
2011 and earlier flood events.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

28. Education
Trained Individuals
•Contractors 61
•Municipal Leaders 73
• Agency Staff 51
•Watershed Assoc.
Members 30
•Total Trained 215*
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

29. Training Goal
Provide municipal employees and private
contractors with science, skills and techniques to
address immediate post-storm stream issues.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

30. Education
•Training Course developed
•Based on stream mechanics
•Takes advantage of the self-stabilizing
tendencies of streams
•Is easily applied in the field
Can be applied throughout New York
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

31. Geographic Regions of New York
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

32. Regional Information Available
• Regional stream channel
geometry tables, based
on drainage size
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN
Bankfull Hydraulic Geometry vs. Drainage Area for Selected Drainage Areas
Construction Dimensions
D. A. Bankfull Bankfull Bankfull channel Min
bank
(sq. Area Width Depth side D 3D X TW FP
mile) (sq. ft) (ft) (ft) slope (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft) (ft)
1 11 13.5 0.8 3:1 1.1 3.2 3.5 13.5 30
2.5 23 20.4 1.1 3:1 1.4 4.3 5.9 20.4 45
5 41 27.8 1.5 3:1 1.8 5.5 8.4 27.8 61
7.5 57 33.4 1.7 3:1 2.1 6.3 10.4 33.4 73
10 72 38.0 1.9 3:1 2.3 7.0 12.0 38.0 84
12.5 86 42.0 2.1 3:1 2.5 7.5 13.5 42.0 92
15 100 45.5 2.2 3:1 2.7 8.0 14.7 45.5 100
17.5 114 48.8 2.3 3:1 2.8 8.5 15.9 48.8 107
20 127 51.8 2.4 3:1 3.0 8.9 17.0 51.8 114
22.5 140 54.6 2.6 3:1 3.1 9.3 18.0 54.6 120
25 153 57.3 2.7 3:1 3.2 9.6 19.0 57.3 126
27.5 165 59.8 2.8 3:1 3.3 9.9 20.0 59.8 132
30 177 62.2 2.8 3:1 3.4 10.2 20.9 62.2 137
32.5 190 64.4 2.9 3:1 3.5 10.6 21.6 64.4 142
Regional watershed maps 35
37.5
40
42.5
45
201
213
225
236
248
66.6
68.7
70.7
72.7
74.6
3.0
3.1
3.2
3.2
3.3
3:1
3:1
3:1
3:1
3:1
3.6
3.7
3.8
3.9
4.0
10.8
11.1
11.4
11.6
11.9
22.5
23.3
24.0
24.8
25.5
66.6
68.7
70.7
72.7
74.6
147
151
156
160
164
47.5 259 76.4 3.4 3:1 4.0 12.1 26.1 76.4 168
50 270 78.2 3.4 3:1 4.1 12.3 26.8 78.2 172
that identify drainage size
*From USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5247
Instructions:
1) Select the table for the drainage basin that your project is in.
2) Select the drainage area (D. A.) in the selected table that most closely matches the D. A. at your project site.
3) Under "Construction Dimensions" read the channel dimensions tabulated.
at any point on a stream
4) Build the channel to these "approximately bankfull" channel dimensions.
C L min. FP
TW
3D X X 3D
within any watershed
D D
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

33. Post-Storm Response Training
What it is not:
Stream restoration
Flood prevention or mitigation
A fix for every possible flood-caused
problem in streams
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

34. Post-Storm Response Training
As a pilot, the DEC will facilitate and support
training by the Upper Susquehanna Coalition
in the Upper Susquehanna River watershed,
including the
Chemung River
sub-basin.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

35. Post-Storm Response Training
Course held on three non-consecutive days
Day 1: classroom training
Day 2: field visit to view work in progress
Day 3: field visit to view finished construction;
class room review of methods applied
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

36. Information
 Further develop the DEC web gateway to
increase public access to information regarding
flood protection and stream restoration.
 Provide a half-hour Powerpoint presentation on
the DEC website to identify the basics, let
people know that they need more information,
and where to get more information.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

37. Information
 Develop a one-page “Do’s and Don’ts” that will
be available as a quick reference to those in the
streams. Also post on the website.
 Continue networking with other agencies (ie.
DOT, Ag and Markets, other states) that are
involved in the issue to get the best information
and resources to the publics that need them.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

38. Next Steps
 Provide “train-the-trainer” training
to SWCD staff
 Pilot Susquehanna with USC
 Get materials on the web
 Develop incentives
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

39. Permitting
Emergency Stream Intervention provides an
opportunity to streamline post flood permitting.
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

40. Questions?
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

41. For Further Information Contact:
Mark Woythal
Instream Flow Unit Leader
Div. of Fish Wildlife & Marine Resources
Phone (518) 402-8847
mswoytha@gw.dec.state.ny.us
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation