STATEMENT BY DAVID BLACKWOOD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WEST TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN AUTHORITY MAILED CORRESPONDENCE - March 25, 2020 - DAVID BLACKWOOD ...

STATEMENT BY DAVID BLACKWOOD

        EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WEST TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN AUTHORITY

            March 25, 2020

      MAILED CORRESPONDENCE

             DAVID BLACKWOOD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
             WEST TENNESSEE RIVER BASIN AUTHORITY
                                3628 EAST END DRIVE
                         HUMBOLDT, TENNESSEE 38343
                                        731-784-8173

General Toy, members of the commission, my name is David Blackwood. I

am the Executive Director of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority.

The Basin Authority performs work in 20 west Tennessee counties from the

Tennessee River to the Mississippi River. Our efforts focus on flood risk

reduction, stream maintenance, channel and watershed stabilization,

infrastructure protection and stream and floodplain restoration.

First off, I'd like to compliment the USACE Memphis District staff. We

continue to enjoy a good working relationship with staff and leadership in

the district. And to our newest commission member, Mr. Riley James,

welcome.

A critical item I would like to bring before the commission is Running

Reelfoot Bayou (RRB), a 21 mile canal, constructed through USACE efforts

in the 1950's, that serves as the drainage outlet for Reelfoot Lake. This

drainage canal has seen a reduction in capacity of almost 85% since the

original work was completed. To complicate matters, a highly controversial

spillway redesign was completed and installed on the outlet of Reelfoot Lake

by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. In 2018 it was put into full-

time operation and the previous structure was abandoned. The new spillway
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design assumes a fully functional Running Reelfoot Bayou and because the

outlet is quickly backwatered during a release, the outlet operation is almost

impossible to manage without putting landowners at risk above and/or below

the spillway. The solution for all parties is an increase in capacity of

Running Reelfoot Bayou. This type of capacity increasing work is normally

controversial between agencies with different missions. However, this

project would result in a benefit to flood protection, environmental habitat,

and public safety. A rare win for everyone involved. The WTRBA has been

working diligently with other agencies like US Fish and Wildlife Service,

Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, US Geological Survey, and the

USACE Memphis District to evaluate the problem, monitor the flows, and

even to model some of the events. Local landowners support our efforts. The

State of Tennessee supports our efforts. We need the help of the USACE to

tackle something of this scale. Please find a way to help fund this project.

I am including some photographs that illustrate the capacity problems on a

normal spring day in March of this year.

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3/15/2020                                  Rivergages .com - Historic Data Table For Obion River Near Bogota, TN (South)

                                Historic Data For Obion River Near Bogota, TN (South)
            Stream Name: Obion                        Longitude: -89.43166700
            Gage Zero: 248.73 Ft. 248.73              Latitude: 36.13580600
            Flood Stage: 22 Ft.                       River Mile: 36.7
            Record High Stage : 31.15 Ft.             Record High Stage Date: 02/04/1 937
                                                   Location of Gage:

                                          OB113 OBION RNER NEAR BOGOTA, TENN.
            I                                                  Download .Q!!ta                                             I
            los:00 Central
            I                                Date i Time                                      I               Stage (Ft)

            I                            03/14/2020 08:00                                     I                 11.95
            I                            03/15/2020 08:00                                     II                11 .86
            I                US Army Corps of Engineers - Mem(lhis Dist rict- Water Control Center - C!!ntact Us

The downstream outlet of Running Reelfoot Bayou is often backwatered by

the Obion River however, this image of the gage data shows that the Obion

River was down at a normal level on this date. In fact, the Obion River was

ten feet below flood stage.

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Moving further upstream to Highway 78 (about halfway of the total reach)

we observed flooding in fields adjacent to RRB.

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Further upstream, near the Reelfoot Lake spillway at Gratio Road, the

channel is full and flowing slowly.

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Finally, at the upstream end, the lake is at a normal level and only two

spillway gates are being operated. The other four gates are left in the up

position with stop logs used to set the normal water surface. The placid

water and resting ducks should indicate the small amount of flow moving

towards the spillway.

With a free draining outlet and an open channel, this small release of lake

flow should not overwhelm the Running Reelfoot Bayou but it does several

times per year.

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Thank you for providing support for funds for the Piney Creek Study. It has

been initiated and should help a critical section of the Hatchie River. Piney

Creek is the largest coarse-grained sediment producing tributary to the

Hatchie River. As sediment accumulates in the channel, more frequent

flooding occurs, additional sediment fills the floodplain and an elevated

water table results. The shallower water table and excessive sedimentation

threatens vast stands of highly valuable bottomland hardwood timber that is

critical to west Tennessee's economy.

I would like to take a minute and outline a few planning assistance studies

(PAS) that the WTRBA has offered to sponsor in the USACE Memphis

District. These types of studies are productive and have often resulted in

projects on the ground.

Per usual, I would l1ke to discuss processes. Processes have been improved.

Funding is making its way into the MR&T. But I want to encourage the new

leadership and the MRC to count these facts in the column of progress and

not a final success. There is still work to be done.

Two things we at the WTRBA advocate for;

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1) Funding of projects through a block grant type system. Currently most

"MR&T" construction projects are managed through the Corps staff. While

this is absolutely the right action for "MR" projects, it might be beneficial to

be able and delegate the "&T" portions. Playing more of a QA/QC role for

smaller watersheds would free up Corps staff for larger issues.

2) Changing the requirements for partnership match costs to reward

proactive communities that spend their funds to develop, design, or

otherwise invest in a project before the Corps has time to get an

authorization. This would allow critical issues to move forward and be more

shovel-ready when the Corps funding arrives.

3) I would like to request that the definition of a "new start" be reviewed and

perhaps revised to exclude improvements or remedial works proposed on

previous USACE projects. This is a major hurdle to any action on projects

like Running Reelfoot Bayou.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on these important matters.

David Blackwood, P.E., Executive Director
West Tennessee River Basin Authority
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