Welcome to WaterMark, your monthly briefing on water policies and programs in Louisiana brought to you by Propeller and Water Works. As we reflect on a chaotic 2017, with catastrophic flooding and hurricane damage in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, we know that there is so much more work to do to make New Orleans and Louisiana safer from future storms and sea level rise. All of us, from informed citizens to water sector professionals, have a role in advocating for policies and investments that make us safer and decrease recovery times when disasters do occur.
Propeller’s upcoming opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs offer a way to increase our collective impact — on risk reduction, stormwater management, and equity and inclusion — while building a safer region and a thriving water industry. Propeller’s Growth Accelerator is a three-month program that provides tailored support, coaching, and technical assistance for your business or nonprofit. The Water Challenge is a pitch competition, awarding $15,000 to ideas, new businesses or nonprofits, or new products and service lines that can improve how we live with water. Applications are open to both of these programs for businesses and entrepreneurs in the water sector. Deadline for the Growth Accelerator application is on January 25th and for the Water Challenge pitch competition, the deadline is February 2nd. Got questions? Join us at a Q&A in January – all upcoming events are listed here – or join us for a water-themed Green Drinks with LifeCity on 1/11. For more information or to refer a business or nonprofit, please contact Allison DeJong at adejong@gopropeller.org.
Have a safe and happy holiday season!
Propeller + Water Works
Additional Resiliency Resources
- The Need to Rebuild Smarter (U.S. Joint Economic Committee)
- Climate Science Special Report (U.S. Global Change Research Program)
- Joy of Water: A Homeowner’s Guide to Becoming Water Wise
In The News
Hurricane Season, Disaster Appropriations, and Lessons for the Future
U.S. News, Bloomberg
The impacts of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria this year are a stark reminder of the importance of hazard mitigation. The White House’s $44 billion congressional disaster aid request falls short of local asks in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico, and brings up questions of how federal dollars can best be spent. Discussions include requiring higher rebuilding standards, with Harris County in Texas approving new building regulations to two feet above the 500-year flood level for properties located within the floodplain. Additional considerations include the need for mapping to account for changes to urban flooding and to show potential impacts from dam failure/dam operational flooding areas. The increasing frequency and cost of natural disasters has FEMA “tapped out”, and will require local, state, and the federal government consider how to reduce risk, rather than face costly recoveries.
CSSR reports on the state of climate change science
U.S. Global Change Research Program
The 4th National Climate Assessment’s Climate Science Special Report (NCA4 CSSR) was released for public comment in early November, including findings that impact the Gulf Coast. Since the last assessment was released in 2014, “stronger evidence has emerged for continuing, rapid, human-caused warming of the global atmosphere and ocean.” The incidence of daily tidal flooding is accelerating, along with higher than global average sea level rise along the East and Gulf Coasts, and increased annual average temperatures. The assessment of changes have significant impacts for human safety, infrastructure, agriculture, water quality and quantity, and natural ecosystems. For the full report see here.
Chief Resilience Officer takes position with Water Institute
Times-Picayune
Jeff Hebert, who has served as Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Resilience
Officer under Mayor Landrieu, has accepted a position as vice president for adaptation and resilience for the Water Institute of the Gulf. Hebert headed up the City of New Orleans’ Resilience Strategy and Resilience District initiatives. For the full article see here.
Survey of Innovative, Integrated Stormwater Management Released
NYC Environmental Protection
The NYC Department of Environmental Protection released a survey of stormwater management programs across the world, including New Orleans. The report provides a comprehensive overview of how municipalities are handling stormwater planning, policy, and regulations, as well as issues such as pollutants, monitoring, and financing. For more information see here.
Baton Rouge Prototype for Floodplain Construction
The Advocate
The LSU Agricultural Center, Louisiana Department of Health, and nonprofit groups came together to refinish a Baton Rouge area home that flooded in 2016 to be more resilient against flooding. Using “wet floodproofing” techniques such as elevating electrical lines and equipment, replacing wood floors with tile and polished concrete, and rebuilding the bottom four feet of walls with flood resistant materials, the home is presented as a prototype of how to minimize flood damage. For the full article see here.
More Water Headlines
- New Orleans Chefs are Joining the Fight to Rebuild LA’s Coast
- Research on oyster habitat continues debate over river diversions
- NOLA vs Nature: The Other “Biggest Flood” in New Orleans History
- Why FEMA Is Making A Big Mistake in Puerto Rico
- Port Proposal Ignites Debate Over Wetlands Inside the Levees
Upcoming Events & Opportunities
- Green Drinks with LifeCity | Jan. 11 at TBD; Propeller will partner with LifeCity for a “water-themed” Green Drinks! More details coming soon.
- Call for Abstracts w/ State of the Coast | due January 5, conference May 30-Jun 1; Call for presentations and abstracts has recently been issued.For more information see here.
- Applications open for Propeller’s Growth Accelerator Program and Water Challenge Pitch Competition | Growth App due 1/25, Water Challenge App due 2/2; Opportunities for water-related businesses and entrepreneurs to receive assistance for their business or nonprofit in our three-month Growth Accelerator Program. In addition, the Water Challenge pitch competition awards $15,000 to ideas/businesses/nonprofits that improve how we live with water. For more information email adejong@gopropeller.org or attend one of our Q&A’s.
- Live Applications for Gulf Research Program Fellowship | Early-career due February 21 and Science Policy due March 14; Applications are now open for the National Academies of Science’s 2018 fellowships, including Early-career Research Fellowships and Science Policy Fellowships. Applications are available here.
WaterMark is a monthly briefing on water programs and policies in Louisiana, brought to you by Propeller and Water Works.
