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Watershed Planning & the Corps of Engineers

Robyn S Colosimo

USACE - Headquarters

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IncreasingDemand forWater

Water Resources Challenges

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Watershed Planning

• Not a new concept

• But appears to be a new answer

• Could be argued that all studies are “watershed based”

• Scale is the segregating measure

• But what is all the “noise” about watershed planning

• Why is it getting so much attention?

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Watershed Planning Success- Key Questions

• What does right look like?

• Is it one size fits all?

• What is the role of the federal government? State government? Local government?

• Are river basin commissions the only model for success?

• Key – Incentivizing watershed planning and not “development of the plan”

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Mission Impossible

• Modernize the Corps Civil Works Delivery Model (authorization)

• Strategic Target = 5 to 10 years out• Key Points:

– Apply lessons of the past– Avoid incremental change; balance radical unacceptable change– Keep the goodness of the current project authorization process while

removing the unnecessary constraints

• Challenge: thinking broadly, not narrowly – not being deterred by the anti-change reaction

• Real job: Challenge conventional thinking• Key to future success: Our ability to change (adapt)

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Scope of Activity

• 2 year effort– Year 1 – research & relationship cultivation– Year 2 – cultivation of ideas

• Targets of Opportunity– Policy & Guidance– WRDA 10 (simpler measures/corrections)–June 10– WRDA 11 (culmination of effort)- June 11

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Progress to Date

• Conducted Interviews of 50+ individuals (March – September)

• Synthesizing Problem (not symptoms)

• Rough list of ideas

• Next Step – Further solicitation of ideas

• Begin to build support for ideas

• Move out on actions concurrently

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Fundamental Questions

• Change or not to Change?

• Or is Change Needed?

• What is wrong with status quo?

• Do we continue to ignore warning shots?

• Do we let change happen to us?

• What is on the table for consideration?

• How can we best serve the taxpayers needs?

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Problems (Perceived)

• Lack of Federal Vision for Water

• Outdated Federal Interest Definitions

• Corps in Leadership Role

• Complex Problems

• Legal and Policy Constraints

• Changing Workforce

• Program that is a collection of projects

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Problems (Perceived) – Continued

• Fiscal Limitations• Special Legislation• Authorization Vehicle• Review Process (Peer and Agency Technical)• Separation of Authorization and Appropriation

Determinations• Cost-Sharing• Less Focused and Coordinated Action• Collaboration

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Some Things I Have Learned in the Last Few Months

• Congress is additive in providing direction• Corps may simply be a decision support agency (mission is to

educate & inform?)• Need to understand motivation of sponsor (money, permits,

expertise or something else?)• Cost-sharing (WRDA 86) had strong unintended consequences• More tools & science – complicates decision making • Project by project decision making – has the effect of

incrementally building a program• Not good at dealing with competing interests• It is impossible to predict the future with accuracy

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Some Things I Have Learned In the Past Few Months (con’t)

• Technology is both a solution and problem• Corps litmus test for investment is “best buy” versus “good

enough”• Good behavior must be “incentivized”• Cost codes/cost sharing undermine teamwork• Experts are few and far between (& spread thin)• Vision is owned by those “in charge”• Decision making IS political• Personalities matter• It is all about EXPECTATIONS/GOALS• Time for bold action is NOW

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Some Initial Ideas

• Move away from rigid b-c analyses• Alter cost-sharing in feasibility phase• Alter delivery of services to meet needs to region • Create specialized teams to work virtually with

authority• Build support for federal priority setting

(authorization & appropriation)• Initiate priority setting through major basin studies• Build Federal – State partnerships

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Some initial ideas (continued)

• Incentivize watershed planning• Grants?• Modify authorization & appropriations

processes (benchmark with other agencies)• No Chiefs Report• Modify Administration Review procedures• Create Study/Review Boards (Honest Broker)• Examine legal constraints & remove them

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Ultimate Goal

• Simple, elegant, responsive, predictable and productive Civil Works program that meets contemporary and future water resources needs

• Real goal – make necessary adaptations before we are “thrown under the bus”

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US Army Corps of Engineers

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