City Engineer Mark Cressotti, Utility Engineer Matthew Gamelli, Andrew Cattano and Michael Andryuk of the USACE, Flood Commissioners Henry Warchol, Mark Goodniss and Albert Giguere, and Conservation Coordinator Karen Leigh inspect the Little River Levee on a rainy Wednesday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Members of the Westfield Flood Commission, the city’s Engineering Department, and Conservation Coordinator Karen Leigh met with Andrew Cattano and Michael Andryuk of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday for an annual routine inspection of the Little River Levee.
City Engineer Mark Cressotti said that Westfield is responsible to maintain 500 feet of the 2500 foot levee. “We’re maintaining a link in the chain, but the whole chain has issues,” Cressotti said.
Cressotti said the USACE built the levee in 1955 in response to flooding, and conditionally turned it over to the City of Westfield for operation and maintenance. In 1984, they returned following another flooding event and rebuilt the 500-foot section, which the city once again agreed to maintain.
“We groom it every year,” Cressotti said. Last year, the city spent $15,000 for survey services, which is also in the budget for FY19.
According to the Westfield Flood Control Commission Annual Report of 2017-2018 prepared by Chairman Albert G. Giguere, Jr., who was present at Wednesday’s inspection, the Little River Levee is declared and listed “unacceptable” by the USACE. Giguere wrote that of the 2500 foot levee, only the 500 foot section repaired in 1984 is controlled by the Commission. “This lack of designation and control, has led directly to the near-complete deterioration of the levee and its design capability,” he wrote.
Failed culvert under the Little River Levee.
Another issue is two failed culverts under the 500 foot rebuilt section, which are designed to allow rainwater runoff to flow out and into the river during normal conditions. On the river side, heavy steel-backflow preventers designed to prevent river flood water from backflowing onto the protected side of the levee have rotted away, rendering them useless.
Cressotti said with the survey the city has done they will conceptualize the levee, and determine what property rights they need to obtain in order to be in compliance with the USACE agreement.
“Our goal is to restore it to its original design flow,” said Utility Engineer Matthew Gamelli.
During the inspection, Cattano noted the overgrowth surrounding the levee, and said the USACE requires 15 foot mowing from the levee down the sides. Gamelli said it is slated to be mowed again this summer or early fall.
Giguere said there is a question on what was built and how it was built. He said they’ve only found plans from 1978.
“All great questions,” Cattano said. He said there are 60 to 80 such projects around New England. “We have plans for all of them except Westfield,” he said.
Cressotti said that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also doesn’t recognize the levee. “For FEMA, it’s not doing anything. FEMA doesn’t recognize the chain,” he said. Cressotti also said because FEMA doesn’t recognize it, abutters are required to buy flood insurance. He said the full extent of the levee is above the 100-year flood plain designated by FEMA.
Cressotti also said that initial efforts by the city will be to certify ownership by the city, and to find the original design purpose for the levee. “If the USACE didn’t build it right the first time, there’s an argument that they should help us to rebuild it,” he said.
“Core samples need to be taken to see if the USACE built it to their standards,” added Giguere. He said he would look at some of the Department of Environmental Protection standards for flood control. “A lot of other cities have levees just like this,” Giguere said.
Cattano said his plans show that in 2010 some of the material was taken out of the embankment and used in the roadway. Flood Commissioner Henry Warchol said they removed it “quite a few years ago.”
“Keep us in the loop,” Cattano asked, also requesting a photo of the levee after it is mowed, for the record.
