On Thursday the Susquehanna River Basin Commission presented the 9th Maurice K. Goddard Award for Excellence by a Water Management Professional to James Brozena, P.E., of West Pittston, Luzerne County.

The Commission also took action on a variety of water withdrawal requests and reported on new floodplain maps for the City of Harrisburg.

Brozena was recognized for his enormous contributions to flood protection programs in the Wyoming Valley. In particular, SRBC cited Brozena’s contributions to the Wyoming Levee Raising Project during his years as the Executive Director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority.

The project involved raising 15 miles of levees and flood walls, enhanced stormwater management, flood mitigation planning, and recreational opportunities, and helped reconnect the residents of the City of Wilkes-Barre with the Susquehanna River by providing riverfront access through the River Commons project.

SRBC also reported on and demonstrated new interactive flood inundation maps being developed for the City of Harrisburg and other nearby communities along the Susquehanna River. These maps, which will be released as internet products later this spring, will show the public expected areas of flooding based on river forecasts.  

An interagency team, known as the Pennsylvania Silver Jackets, is developing the maps. The Pennsylvania Silver Jackets is an innovative program, initiated by the Baltimore District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to bring together local, state, regional and federal agencies to address Pennsylvania’s flood risk management priorities.

A list of actions taken on water withdrawal requests is available online.

3/25/2013