From David Volz
Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Commanding General and 55th U.S. Army Chief of Engineers, signed the Chief’s Report for the Miami-Dade Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study, propelling the study to the next phase of Congressional authorization and funding.
The Miami-Dade Back Bay CSRM Feasibility Study is an eight-year, $11.2 million fully federally funded study led by USACE in partnership with the non-federal sponsor, Miami-Dade County, and in collaboration with key stakeholders and municipalities. The purpose of the study is to identify, evaluate, and recommend a set of solutions that manage coastal storm surge risks to Miami-Dade County, infrastructure, and most importantly, improve resilience by managing risks to public health and life safety.
The Chief’s Report outlines a suite of recommendations focused on six of the County’s most physically and socioeconomically vulnerable areas that include voluntary elevations of residential homes and floodproofing of non-residential buildings and critical infrastructure. The Chief’s Report also recommends a Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Pilot Program and Programmatic Nonstructural Studies for Congress to authorize. Together, these efforts will help the County advance a multiple lines of defense approach to reducing damage from future storms.
“The signing of the Chief’s Report is a big win for Miami-Dade and a crucial step toward making our nation’s coastal communities more resilient,” said Col. Sonny Avichal, USACE Norfolk District Commander. “This achievement highlights the importance of our enduring partnership with the County and our shared vision for a collaborative approach to improving coastal resiliency and managing coastal storm risks for the vulnerable Miami-Dade community.”
“Residents, community partners, and leaders from private sector helped to co-design the many recommendations in this report, resulting in an initial list of projects our entire County can support,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We applaud the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ community-centered approach as we work together to reduce the risk of storm surge and protect people and property for generations to come.”
If Congress authorizes the NBS Pilot Program, USACE in partnership with Miami-Dade County and other partners will create, build, and monitor NBS pilot projects.
