Flood Risk Management: Wisconsin Silver Jackets Team

Purpose

Silver Jackets teams are collaborative, state-led, interagency teams that are continuously working together to reduce flood risk at the state level. Through the Silver Jackets program, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and additional federal, state, and sometimes local and tribal agencies provide a unified approach to addressing a state’s flood risk priorities. Often, no single agency has the complete solution, but each may have one or more pieces to contribute.

Location

Silver Jackets team activities and projects occur throughout Wisconsin.

Description

The Silver Jackets program has multiple primary goals:

• Facilitate strategic lifecycle flood risk reduction;
• Create or supplement a continuous mechanism to collaboratively solve state-prioritized issues and implement or recommend those solutions;
• Improve processes, identifying and resolving gaps and counteractive programs;
• Leverage and optimize resources;
• Improve and increase flood risk communication, and present a unified interagency message; and
• Establish close relationships to facilitate integrated post-disaster recovery solutions.

Wisconsin has participated in Silver Jackets flood risk management activities since 2009 and formally adopted a charter in January 2016. All team activities are coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit and Rock Island districts. The team convenes as the Wisconsin Hazard Mitigation Team and conducts annual meetings and supplemental meetings as necessary.

Status

The Wisconsin Hazard Mitigation Team has recently completed four interagency projects. These products are available to the general public and will be used to inform infrastructure and regional planning efforts.

Projects

• Baraboo River near Baraboo: flood inundation mapping
• Trempealeau River at Arcadia: flood inundation mapping
• Baraboo River: flood two-dimensional Hydrologic Engineering Center River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) storage study
• Arcadia: flood two-dimensional HEC-RAS storage study

Authority

The Silver Jackets team is a national coordination program activity funded by various authorities: Section 206 of the Flood Control Act of 1960, Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974, and the Flood Control Act of 1955 (Public Law 84-99).

Funding

Total federal funds allocated to date:
Fiscal years 2013-2025                  $1,205,536