QK’s Post

I'm happy to share the successful completion of the 'Diversion Channel' project as part of the South Cessnock Bund Wall Flood Mitigation Scheme. This initiative involved constructing a 120 m long, 18 m wide channel near the Netball Courts, designed to redirect floodwaters away from vulnerable areas and into existing water channels downstream. One of the significant challenges we tackled was integrating the new channel with the existing infrastructure, particularly where it intersected with a pedestrian/cycle path. This required careful planning and execution to ensure minimal disruption to community pathways while enhancing flood resilience. Key achievements of the project include: 🌟 Construction of a robust diversion channel to effectively manage floodwaters. 🌟 Realignment of the existing cycleway to accommodate the new channel, ensuring continued connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists. 🌟 Removal and replacement of the old bridge with a new structure to support the realigned cycleway. I'm immensely proud of our team's dedication and expertise in overcoming these challenges. Our collaborative efforts with stakeholders and the community have resulted in a sustainable solution that enhances flood protection for South Cessnock. I want to thank Randeep Singh and Greg Small for guiding me throughout the project and helping me to make it a success. Together, we've made a lasting impact on our community's safety and infrastructure resilience. Looking forward to sharing more updates on our continued efforts to build a more resilient future. #InfrastructureDevelopment #FloodMitigation #CommunityImpact #EngineeringExcellence #ProjectManagement

Today, I came across a blog on flood mitigation strategies, and one model stood out: the Dutch approach to flood management. Here’s a brief overview of how the Netherlands handles flooding so effectively: ### Dutch Model for Flood Management **1. Advanced Infrastructure:** - **Delta Works:** A comprehensive series of projects including dams, sluices, locks, and storm surge barriers designed to protect low-lying areas from flooding. - *Example:* The Oosterscheldekering (Eastern Scheldt storm surge barrier) features massive gates that can be closed during extreme weather to prevent seawater from inundating land. **2. "Room for the River" Program:** - **Floodplain Redesign:** This program allows rivers to expand naturally by redesigning floodplains and relocating dikes. It helps manage high water levels more effectively. - *Example:* In Nijmegen, a new floodplain was created for the Waal River, including a side channel and relocated dike, which helps reduce flood risks in urban areas. **3. Innovative Urban Planning:** - **Water Squares:** Multifunctional spaces designed to temporarily store rainwater during heavy rainfall and act as public parks during dry periods. - *Example:* Benthemplein Water Square in Rotterdam collects and stores rainwater, aiding urban flood management while providing community space. **4. Natural Solutions:** - **Wetland Restoration:** Creating and restoring wetlands to act as natural buffers that absorb excess water and reduce flood risks. - *Example:* The Marker Wadden project involves artificial islands in Markermeer Lake that enhance water management and biodiversity. **5. Community Involvement and Education:** - **Public Engagement:** Actively involving communities in flood planning and decision-making, complemented by public education campaigns and regular drills to ensure preparedness. The Dutch model provides valuable insights into effective flood management and could offer innovative solutions for our country facing similar challenges. Please feel free to share your thoughts or insights related to environmental issues. #Connections #Environment #Disaster #SaveLife

Discover how the Upper St. Johns River Basin Water Restoration Project is setting the standard for large-scale water body restoration projects worldwide! From flood control to habitat restoration, this project is a true environmental success story. 🌿🌊 https://bit.ly/3Q4jzqI

San Francisco’s ambitious $13bn (£10.5bn) programme to defend the city against flooding from inevitable sea rise will involve raising the shoreline and lifting historic buidlings, an engineer on the project has told NCE. Released in January 2024, the Port of San Francisco’s San Francisco Waterfront Flood Study - Draft Plan looks at the options available to defend the city’s 12km shoreline from roughly 1-2m sea level rise expected by 2100. It is the first of its kind from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The plan was put together in a collaboration by the Port of San Francisco, the US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacobs and Arcadis. It is based on analysis of the coastal flood risk and effects of sea level rise for the waterfront within the Port of San Francisco’s jurisdiction, from Aquatic Park to Heron’s Head Park. It also includes capacity to also build resilience against seismic events that are frequent in the Bay Area of California. Jacobs programme manager for the project Darren Milsom CEng MICE told NCE that, while the project will completely change the way San Francisco is built, doing nothing will inevitably lead to irreparable damage to the communities that inhabit the city. There has to be an acknowledgement that doing nothing would have a much greater impact than doing something,” he said. “So how do we do it in a way that minimises impact? “Not only just that but it’s also important to see it as an opportunity to reimagine what the San Francisco waterfront, this kind of world renowned waterfront, can look like in in 40 years, and how we can make it even better than it is now.” The Embarcadero waterfront contains historic piers, wharves and buildings, including the historic Ferry Building. Milsom pointed out that residents consider these landmarks central to the thriving Port. This section of the waterfront also contains the Embarcadero Promenade that hosts millions of people annually from all over the world and provides flood protection to San Francisco’s Financial District. The plan doesn’t just focus on the Embarcadero area of San Francisco. In Fisherman’s Wharf, the study looks at taking advantage of the existing higher ground and will look to use floodproofing and short floodwalls on piers and wharves to reduce near-term damages to lower-lying buildings and assets. In South Beach, Mission Bay, Islais Creek and the Bayview area, a combination of berms/levees, seawalls, nature-based features such as creek enhancements and closure structures for light rail bridges is proposed. Consultation on the study ended at the end of March this year. The next major milestone for the project will come in March 2026 when a proposal to Congress will recommend for it to make federal investment in the project. Current plans would see Congress pay for 65% of the construction costs, which could amount to up to $8bn (£6.5bn). (New Civil Engineer)

This FEMA, geographic assessment show the US areas that are the "most at risk from the effects of natural hazards and #CimateChange," and are used as a focus for financial and technical assistance. https://ow.ly/54Nm30sAaPW #infographic #flood

In developing the City’s Flood Mitigation Strategy, the City of Abbotsford had a full post-flooding analysis of Sumas Prairie conducted with a specific view of reducing flood risk for residents, businesses and agricultural properties. The City of Abbotsford has made this report available to ensure that the public can engage in a fulsome understanding of the complexities involved in addressing the serious flooding concerns and extreme climate impacts related to the rivers, waterways and flood infrastructure of Sumas Prairie. https://lnkd.in/g-PYm28y

🌱 🌱 🌱 "Trees and shrubs provide the essential last step in flood recovery, acting like the reo in concrete to stabilise banks and to slow the water down in future flooding events," Elsa Burnell, Project Coordinator for West Gippsland CMA. 🌧️ When Wirn Wirndook Yeerung (Macalister River) swelled in the June 2021 flood event in West Gippsland, we worked with landholders at Glenfalloch Station to repair the damaged waterway and build resistance for future floods. 💧 The team used their experience of previous floods to achieve the best results by working with natural materials and focusing on long-term resilience.🐟 🐟 🐟 🐸 Logs and woody debris washed down by the floodwater were salvaged and dug into the bank to help with stabilisation while providing habitat for frogs and fish. 🐟 🐟 🐟 🌱 And almost 7,000 native plants were planted across the flood-affected sites. These flood recovery works were funded by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Read all about it at https://bit.ly/4emY5zR #CMAsGetItDone #FloodRecovery #WirnWirndookYeerung #MacalisterRiver #Gippsland #Gippslandfloods #Riverhealth #WaterWednesday

Connectivity in urbanscapes can cause unintended flood impacts from stormwater systems Abstract Urban flooding is intensifying worldwide, presenting growing challenges to urban communities. We posit that most of the flood management solutions currently employed are local in nature and fail to account for ways in which the space–time connectivity of floods is exacerbated by built infrastructure. We examine the 2014 flood in Southeast Michigan to identify key factors contributing to urban flooding and explore the implications of design choices on inundation. Findings reveal that stormwater infrastructure that neglects flood spatial connectivity can be ineffective in mitigating floods, leading to inundation even in the absence of local rainfall. Different configurations of network connections—including interfaces with natural channels—can significantly impact upstream surcharge, overflowing manholes and inundation conditions. These results emphasize the need to consider interconnectedness of flood processes in urban watershed systems to mitigate limitations inherent in the design of flood control and warning systems, to enhance urban flood resilience.

The City of Renton is using $400k in grant funding to implement a flood reduction project. When looking at this article, what shocked me is just the volume of impervious coverage in that photo and how they only thing they are looking to do in this phase is install a bigger interceptor pipe. Yes, the project has some future waterway improvements being considered, but where is the consideration to substantially reduce impervious coverage and implement minimum green space requirements? #stormwatermanagement #civilengineer