The Department of Environmental Protection is sponsoring a Flood Protection Workshop to be held at the Fernwood Hotel and Resort in the Poconos on March 28- 30.

The workshop will focus on lessons learned from the devastating levee failures that occurred in New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina, as well as the damages that occurred here in Pennsylvania from Hurricane Ivan.

Presentations will include hurricane and river flood forecasting by the National Weather Service, the levee failures in New Orleans by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a panel on levee closure structures by operators here in Pennsylvania and an impending flood checklist by New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

The workshop will also focus on operation and maintenance issues such as concrete repair and vegetation control. Several municipal sponsors will provide case studies of successful flood project upgrades funded by DEP's grant program.

A bus tour of the flood levee system of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg is planned followed by a recognition dinner. Vendors of flood protection related materials from flap gates to boom mowers have been invited to set up displays during the workshop.

The annual workshop provides a great opportunity for municipal sponsors of flood protection projects to receive training, share information and learn the about the latest levee safety issues.

For more information, contact Ray Zomok at 717-787-7433 or send email to rzomok@state.pa.us .

3/3/2006