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<br />Chapter ~ <br /> <br />Policies, Programs, & Strategies for <br />ftood Damage Reduction <br /> <br /> <br />Through time, the natural riverine and cO~l...tal systems <br />have experienced inCl'e~lsing pressures from a rising pop- <br />ulation, the shift from an agrarian to an industrial socier); <br />and the limited amount of land close to water. Growing <br />technological a\)Hity provided the means to translate <br />these pressures imo expanded development in flood~ <br />prone are~15--even in the face of repeated disasters that <br />showed that fl(x)(ling cannot be controlled The resultant <br />cycle of destruction and rebuilding ha<.; been made more <br />palatable for some due to the benefits of locating near the <br />\vater. At the same time, there have been constant efforts <br />to reduce the rbk of flooding. with the federal govern- <br />ment taking the initiative. <br /> <br />Evolution of Flood Policy <br /> <br />Early measures to reduce tlood haz..'lrds in this COUI1- <br />tl)"-most common I); dikes and levees, seasonal evacua- <br />tion, and buildings on stilts-were limiled, and \vere <br />usually the resuh of private or local initiatives. Since the <br />] 920's, however, there has been a surge in technological <br />advances and an active interest by the federal government <br />In 1928, after a de\~l'tating flood of the [ower Missis- <br />sippi Valley, Congress passed the Lower Mississippi River <br />Flood Control Act to provide federai funds for flood con- <br />troi in that region. The suhsequent Flood Control Act of <br />1936 eniarged the scope of Congressional interest by de- <br />claring dut flood damage \Vas a nmional problem and <br />should he addressed with federal funds. This legislation, <br />which shaped policy for 30 years and remains an imlx)r- <br />tant influence on it, directed federal efforts towards pre- <br />venting floods by controlling the flow of water in the na- <br />tion's major river systems. This policy was implemented <br />by the construction of structuralmodificarions such as <br />dams, levees and channel improvements. <br /> <br />, <br />~ <br />~ <br />c <br />~ <br /> <br />o <br />~ <br />B <br />~. <br />~ <br /> <br />, <br />~ <br /> <br />Ln'cc t"onstructJon in IH<)O, LIS A.rmy Olfp~ of En)o!;inttr.' <br /> <br /> <br />I <br />j <br /> <br />.i ~ <br />~ <br />,. . . ~ <br />"",."rf", _ ,. . ~.~ <br /> <br />~ ......."g <br />'!I..r,"t\.lIi , <br />~. " .. " <br />.' t!'JfJi;, ~ .:1'_ .. _ ~ <br /> <br />Flood control projecls such <br />as tbe dam and re~rruoir <br />above and Ihe chamleliza- <br />lion project at leji have <br />been con,/ructed in an at- <br />lempllo reduce flood <br />damage by controlling <br />stream flow <br /> <br />21 <br />