The National Committee on Levee Safety (NCLS) was established by the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, specifically Title IX, also known as the "National Levee Safety Act of 2007."

Members of the NCLS were invited to a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment in May 2009, where the recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program were addressed. In November 2010, the NCLS was invited to testify before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on levee safety issues. Keeping the lines of communication open, non-federal members of the NCLS have made themselves available to Congressional staff to answer any questions and support their recommendations.

Prior to WRDA 2007, other bills pertaining to levee safety have been brought before Congress; links to these bills are below.

Information & Listening Sessions

March 25, 2011

Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program
Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
Presentation (pdf, 1.04 MB)

Levee Safety Testimony before Congress

November 30, 2011

The Missouri River Flood: Testimony before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Water Resources & Environment

• Statement of the American Society of Civil Engineers (pdf, 146 KB)

November 17, 2010

Water Resources Development Act of 2010: Legislative Issues (Levee Safety) testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

• Testimony of Steve Verigin, P.E., G.E., member of the National Committee on Levee Safety (pdf, 274 KB)
• NCLS Response to Congressional Inquiry for the Hearing Record, January 4, 2011 (pdf, 947 KB)

July 28, 2010

"Flood Preparedness and Mitigation: Map Modernization, Levee Inspection, and Levee Repairs" testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs.

• Testimony of Sam Riley-Medkock, CFM, on behalf of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (pdf 110 KB)

May 19, 2009

Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program testimony before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

• Testimony of Leslie F. Harder, Jr., P.E., G.E., PhD., on behalf of the American Council of Engineering Companies (pdf, 867 KB)
• Testimony of Larry Larson, P.E., CFM, Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) (pdf, 137 KB)
• Testimony of Steve Fitzgerald, PE, NAFSMA Director and Flood Management Committee Chair, Chief Engineer, Harris County Flood Control District, Houston, Texas on behalf of the National Association of Flood And Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) (pdf, 60 KB)
• Testimony of David Conrad, Senior Water Resources Specialist, on behalf of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) (pdf, 1.77 MB)
• Testimony of Eric Halpin, Special Assistant for Dam and Levee Safety, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Vice Chair of the National Committee on Levee Safety on behalf of the National Committee on Levee Safety (pdf, 26KB)

May 8, 2007

National Levee Safety Issues testimony before U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

• Testimony of Warren "Dusty" Williams, General Manager and Chief Engineer of the Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District on behalf of the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) (pdf, 169 KB)

April 6, 2006

H.R.4650: The National Levee Safety Program Act before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

• Testimony of Peter Nicholson, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers (pdf, 33 KB)

Levee Safety Bills before Congress

H.R. 1495 Water Resources Development Act of 2007

• Title IX, National Levee Safety Program, final bill passed by both House and Senate became Public Law No: 110-114, 11/9/2007, PDF of Title IX only (pdf, 39 KB)
• Library of Congress THOMAS: Version of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (H.R. 1495)

S. 1248 Water Resources Development Act of 2007

• Library of Congress THOMAS: Water Resources Development Act of 2007, introduced in the Senate (S. 1248)
• Senate Report 110-058 - Water Resources Development Act of 2007

H.R. 1587 National Levee Safety Program Act of 2007

• As introduced in the House, 3/20/2007

H.R. 4650 National Levee Safety Program Act of 2006

• As passed by Committee and placed on the House Calendar, 7/28/2006

H.R. 4727 Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002

• Final bill passed by the House and Senate became Public Law No: 107-310, 12/2/2002

S. 640 Water Resources Development Act of 1996

• Final bill passed by the House and Senate became Public Law No: 104-303
• Senate Report 104-170 - Water Resources Development Act of 1996
• Conference Report / House Report 104-843

H.R. 3592 Water Resources Development Act of 1996

• As passed by the House, 7/30/1996 (Senate Version, S. 640 became law)