Flood protection
plans in works
Proposals include permanent
status for state task force        

Jim Wallace <jimw@dailymail.com>
Daily Mail Capitol reporter

Thursday August 22, 2002; 10:45 AM

A task force has produced a draft of a flood protection plan for six Southern West Virginia counties and hopes to have one ready for the entire state by the end of November.

The task force also wants to become a permanent entity that will continue to watch over efforts to minimize the damage caused by future floods.

The draft plan includes recommendations for improving the flood warning system, improving the mapping of flood plains, dealing with existing structures in flood-prone areas, adapting building codes and managing development in and around flood plains.

The West Virginia Conservation Agency has put the regional plan for Boone, Fayette, Mercer, McDowell, Raleigh and Wyoming counties on its Web site, www.wvca.us, for public comment and review through Sept. 5.

The task force plans to present the final version to Gov. Bob Wise, the Legislature and the state's congressional delegation by Sept. 30 and then integrate it into the statewide plan.

The effort to develop a statewide flood protection plan began in 1991 and received some federal funding with the help of Sen. Robert Byrd in 1998. After severe floods hit Southern West Virginia in July 2001, Wise asked the task force to focus on the six southern counties first.

Russell Campbell, assistant director of the Conservation Agency, said the idea is to spend some money on efforts to prevent flooding and reduce the damages it causes rather than spending much more money to clean up the mess after it occurs.

More than 20 state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations have been involved in developing the plan.

Campbell wants to make sure the recommendations of the regional plan and then the statewide plan are followed by keeping the task force as a permanent entity to act as a clearinghouse and monitor of implementation.

"If these sit on the shelf, we've all failed in our duties," he said. "We want to have a close relationship with the governor's office."

When Campbell presented the regional plan to lawmakers during their interim meetings this week in Wheeling, Sen. Jeff Kessler, D-Marshall, asked whether getting it implemented is a realistic expectation. Campbell responded that no one agency had full authority for the plan, so it's important for them to continue to share their information and resources, but that has worked well so far.

"We're finding a somewhat holistic approach," Campbell said. That approach has also revealed funding programs for flood prevention efforts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the National Resources Conservation Services and other agencies.

But Emily Yeager, D-McDowell, said she didn't think the agencies were working well together because the flood victims in her county were having trouble getting the answers to their questions. Campbell said he would like the state to establish a toll-free telephone number people could call to get answers to all of their flood-related questions.

Randy Moore of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund said the task force should be set up along the model of the state Infrastructure Council so that it would be an entity to bring agencies together but not have a staff.

The task force is scheduled to present the final version of its statewide flood protection plan to Byrd, Wise and the Legislature by Jan. 15.

Writer Jim Wallace can be reached at 348-4819.