THE MIDWEST FLOODS OF 1993: FLOOD CONTROL AND FLOODPLAIN POLICY AND PROPOSALS (103-57) HEARING BEFORE TIE SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION IIOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS FIRST SESSION OCTOBER 27, 1993 Printed for the use of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 83-034 WASHINGTON : 1994 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Iocunients, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, [C 2(02 ISBN 0-16-045963-X COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION NORMAN Y.l IINETA, California, Chair JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota BUD SHUSTER, Pennsylvania NICK J. RAHALL 1I, West Virginia WILLIAM F. CLINGER, JR., Pennsylvania DOUGLAS APPLEGATE, Ohio THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin RON DE LUGO, Virgin Islands SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York ROBERT A. BORSKI, Pennsylvania JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma TIM VALENTINE, North Carolina BILL EMERSON, Missouri WILLIAM 0. LIPINSKI, Illinois JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee ROBERT E. WISE, JR., West Virginia SUSAN MOLINARI, New York JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR., Ohio WILLIAM H. ZELIFF, JR., New ilampshire PETER A. DEFAZIO, Oregon THOMAS W. EWING, Illinois JAMES A. HAYES, Louisiana WAYNE T. GILCIIREST, Maryland BOB CLEMENT, Tennessee JENNIFER DUNN, Washington JERRY F. COSTELLO, Illinois Y. TIM IUTCHINSON, Arkansas MIKE PARKER, Mississippi BILL BAKER, California GREG LAUGHLIN, Texas MICHAEL A. "MAC" COLLINS, Georgia PETE GEREN, Texas JAY KIM, California GEORGE E. SANGMEISTER, Illinois DAVID A. LEVY, New York GLENN POSHARD, Illinois STEPHEN HORN, California DICK SWETT, New Hampshire BOB FRANKS, New Jersey BUD CRAMER, Alabama PETER 1. BLUTE, Massachusetts BARBARA-ROSE COLLINS, Michigan HOWARD P. "BUCK" McKEON, California ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of JOHN L. MICA, Florida Columbia PETER IHOEKSTRA, Michigan LUCIEN E. BLACKWELL, Pennsylvania JACK QUINN, New York JERROLD NADLER, New York SAM COPPERSMITH, Arizona LESLIE L. BYRNE, Virginia MARIA CANTWELL, Washington PAT DANNER, Missouri KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah ROBERT MENENDEZ, New Jersey JAMES E. CLYBURN, South Carolina CORRINE BROWN, Florida NATHAN DEAL, Georgia JAMES A. BARCIA, Michigan DAN HAMBURG, California BOB FILNER, California WALTER R. TUCKER II1, California EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas PETER W. BARCA, Wisconsin SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT DOUGLAS APPLEGATE, Ohio, Chair JAMES A. HAYES, Louisiana, SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York Vice Chair WILLIAM F. CLINGER, JR., Pennsylvania MIKE PARKER, Mississippi THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin KAREN SHEPHERD, Utah JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma CORRINE BROWN, Florida BILL EMERSON, Missouri NATHAN DEAL, Georgia SUSAN MOLINARI, New York JAMES A. BARCIA, Michigan WILLIAM H1.ZELIFF, JR., New Hampshire BOB FILNER, California THOMAS W. EWING, Illinois JAMES L. OBERSTAR, Minnesota WAYNE T. GILCIIREST, Maryland NICK J. RAIIALL II, West Virginia Y. TIM HIUTCIIINSON, Arkansas ROBERT E. WISE, JR., West Virginia STEPHEN HORN, California PETE GEREN, Texas PETER HOEKSTRA, Michigan GEORGE E. SANGMEISTER, Illinois JACK QUINN, New York GLENN POSIIARD, Illinois BUD SHTUSTER, Pennsylvania ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of (Ex Officio) Columbia JERROLD NADLER, Now York LESLIE L. BYRNE, Virginia ROBERT MENENDEZ, New ,Jersey DAN HAMBURG, California WALTER R. TUCKER III, California ROBERT A. BORSKI, Pennsylvania TIM VALENTINE, North Carolina WILLIAM 0. LIPINSKI, Illinois NORMAN Y. MINETA, California (Ex Officio) CONTENTS TESTIMONY Page Bridge, Galen, Acting Chief, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Department of A gricu ltu re ............................................................................................................ 34 Danner, Hon. Pat, a Representative in Congress from Missouri ......................... 22 Dickey, Dr. G. Edward, Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works), accompanied by Lt. Gen. Arthur E. Williams, Chief of Engineers, U.S. A rmy Corps of E ngineers .................................................................................... 34 Durbin, Hon. Richard J., a Representative in Congress from Illinois ................. 19 Faber, Scott, Director of Floodplain Programs, American Rivers, Inc. accom- panied by Constance Hunt, Attorney, World Wildlife Fund, and Timothy J. Searchinger, Attorney, Environmental Defense Fund .................................. 77 Gephardt, Hon. Richard A., a Representative in Congress from Missouri ......... 14 Grosboll, Allen Executive Assistant to Governor Jim Edgar, Chair, Flood Recovery Task Force, State of Illinois ............................................................... 67 Hoagland, Annie, Chair, Alton Lake Illinois Heritage Parkway Commission ... 77 Nairn, Hon. Gerald, Mayor of the City of Grafton, IL .......................................... 77 Nussle Hon Jim, a Representative in Congress from Iowa ................................ 17 Plasenica, Doug, Chair, Association of State Floodplain Managers .................... 67 Smith, Hon. Neal, a Representative in Congress from Iowa ............................... 10 Sparks Richard, Director of River Research, Laboratories of the Illinois Natu- ral histo ry Survey ............................................................................................... 77 Talent, Hon. James M., a Representative in Congress from Missouri ................ 24 Volkmer, Hon. Harold L., a Representative in Congress from Missouri ............ 11 White, Gilbert, Interim Director, Natural Hazards Research and Applicatiors Information Center, University of Colorado ...................................................... 77 Witt, James Lee, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] . 34 PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITrED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Barcia, Hon. Jam es A., of M ichigan ....................................................................... 8 Blackwell, Hon. Lucien E., of Pennsylvania .......................................................... 29 Costello, H on. Jerry F., of Illinois ........................................................................ 26 Leach, H on. Jam es A ., of Iow a .............................................................................. 32 PREPARED STATEMENTS SuiMi'rrED BY WITNESSES B ridge, G alen ........................................................................................................... 93 D anner, H on. Pat, of M issouri ............................................................................... 102 D ickey, Dr. G . E dw ard ........................................................................................... 106 Durbin, Hon. Richard J., of Illinois ......... ...... .................... 114 Faber, Scott ..................................................... 117 Gephardt, Hon. Richard A., of M issouri ................................................................ 158 G rosboll, A llen D ...................................................................................................... 162 H oag ond, Annie ...................................................................................................... 165 N airn, Hon. G erald .......................................................................................... .. 178 Nussle, H on. Jim , of Iow a ............................................................................... ...... 217 Plasencia, D g .................................................................................................. 219 Sparks, R ichard E .................................................................................................... 232 Volkm er, Hon. Harold L., of M issouri .................................................................... 239 White G ilbert .......................................................................................................... 252 W itt, J am es Lee ....................................................................................................... 256 VI SUBMI8S1ONs FROM THE RECORD Faber, Scott Director of Floodplain Programs, American Rivers, Inc., Paper: Pap "The Peopie of the Midwest Need Real Choices". .............................................. 130 Horn, Hon. Stephen, a Representative in Congress from California, letter July 22, 1993, to Dr. G. Edward Dickey ............................................................ 62 R ponse from Dr. G. Edward Dickey ............................................................ 64 Nairn, Hon. Gerald Mayor, City of Grafton, IL, "Flood Relief Comprehensive Plan, City of G raAion, IL". ................................................................................... 183 Volkmer, Hon. Harold L., a Representative in Congress from Missouri, H.R. 3012-To Provide Relocation Assistance in Connection with Flooding in the M idwest, and for other purposes .................................................................. 248 THE MIDWEST FLOODS OF 1993: FLOOD CON- TROL AND FLOODPLAIN POLICY AND PRO- POSALS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1993 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON WATER RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT, COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a.m., in room 2167, Rayburn House O ice Building, lion. Douglas Applegate (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Mr. APPLEGATE. Good morning. Today the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment begins hearings on the after- math of the Midwest Flood of 1993. During the first half of 1993, precipitation in the upper Midwest was one and a half to two times normal