| Abstract: | Design freeboard is an increment of height added to a dam, floodwall, levee, or channel, above and beyond the design flood height, intended to serve as a safety factor to account for unforeseen errors in design. Current policies of the Corps of Engineers with regard to the handling of design freeboard for local flood protection studies in economic analyses lead to economic inefficiency. An analysis of these policies in the case study of a levee raising plan for Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, reveals that a $200 million project which is considered economically justified under anent policies is in fact not justified under strict economic efficiency criteria Congress has directed that water resources development projects be planned for the objective of National Economic Development. Under current policies that is not being done. |
