The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District’s Emergency Operations Branch, in collaboration with the Bishop Paiute Tribe, completed emergency flood-risk mitigation measures June 22 at the Bishop Paiute Tribe Indian Reservation in Inyo County, California.
The team from the district’s Emergency Operations Branch arrived June 16, after receiving a request for assistance from the Bishop Paiute Tribe to help with its efforts in preparing for potential flooding from runoff from the historic Southern Sierra Mountains snowpack, which was about 300 percent above normal snowfall levels April 1.
The District team, accompanied by the Tribe’s Emergency Management Team, conducted a site assessment June 1 and determined that several homes and the reservation’s community education center were at “high-risk” for potential flooding.
Under Public Law 84-99 (Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies), the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers provides disaster preparedness services and advanced planning measures designed to reduce the amount of damage caused by an impending disaster.
Inyo County officials reported snow levels in the Sierra Mountains were still extraordinarily high, even by 2017 standards, and higher temperatures are expected to open the floodgates, with water levels rising and flow rates increasing throughout the region. One million acre-feet – one acre of land covered in one foot of water, which is equal to about 326 billion gallons of water – is expected to come down from the High Sierra through at least July.
Upon receiving approval and funding, the Corps staged about 1,005 tons of sand, sandbags, HESCO barriers and a hydraulic sandbag filler machine from the Corps’ Sacramento District near the reservation to assist with the tribe’s sandbag-filling efforts.
“They've asked for assistance because they've had 300 percent of their annual snowmelt increase in the mountains, and with the warmer weather, they're expecting to see floods in their channels,” said Louis Munoz, LA District Emergency Management Branch specialist. “So, they contacted (the Corps), and we were able to secure some funding through the PL 84-99 Program to come out here and help the tribe protect their homes that could potentially be flooded by this snow melt.”
PROTECTIVE MEASURES
The Corps’ Sacramento District deployed their hydraulic sandbagging machine, and the team of emergency responders filled more than 15,500 sandbags of which a combination of 7,000 sandbags and HESCO barrier were used to create an 857-linear-foot berm along the creeks, around homes and the education center to reduce potential flooding to the Bishop Paiute Tribe Reservation.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers response was so quick,” said Gloriana Bailey, Bishop Paiute Tribe chief executive officer. “We had the resolution approved by the tribal council within a couple of days, and everything came into place so quickly.”
“I would like to thank everyone for all the work that they've done. The team worked 12-hour shifts, every day – even worked on Father's Day and the holiday. You know that they care about the community as well, and, without their hard work and help from the Army Corps, it wouldn't have gotten done. Great teamwork – that's all I can say.”