LTC 174-2024 US Army Corps Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management StudyMIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Honorable Mayor Steven Meiner and Members of the City Commission
Ro: Rickele wiams, Interim city Manager ?)
DATE: May 7, 2024
SUBJECT: United States Army Corps Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Study
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to provide an update regarding the Miami-Dade Back
Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study. The Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) is partnering with Miami-Dade County (MDC) and its municipalities to build resilience
and reduce potential damage from coastal storms through the implementation of CSRM
measures. The Study considers a 50-year period of analysis and will be conducted through 2028.
MDC is the local sponsor and is directly coordinating with USACE. The Administration has made
considerable effort to incorporate the City's assets and priorities into MDC's work.
On April 23, 2024, USACE released the 2024 Draft Chief's Report with a 30-day public comment
period with a virtual public webinar on May 7 (6PM to 8PM). The link is available at
https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/MiamiDadeBackBayCSRMFeasibilityStudy/.
2024 Chief's Report (2024): USACE and MDC are pursuing an accelerated timeline to deliver a
2024 Chief's Report identifying projects for the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).
The 2024 Report includes critical facilities protection, residential elevation, and commercial
properties floodproofing. It includes programmatic funding for approaches inclusive of nature-
based solutions. Implementation and construction will take place from 2025 to 2034.
TIMELINE AND BACKGROUND
Original Feasibility Study (2018-2021) Beginning in 2018, USACE and MDC conducted a three-
year federally funded 'Back Bay' CSRM Feasibility Study to explore opportunities to protect
vulnerable areas from future storm surge damage. The study was paused in 2021.
Alternative Development (2022-2023) In 2022, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced an
extension for the study after making a formal request to USACE. MDC and USACE adapted the
2021 Recommended Plan to include enhanced stakeholder involvement, further natural and
nature-based feature evaluation, and social and environmental quality benefits.
Feasibility Study (2023-2028): In August 2023, the Go/No Go checkpoint, MDC and USACE
officially announced moving forward with the "Back Bay" study. The timeline includes coordination
with municipalities, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and State and
Federal resource agencies. The Study will include a multi-phased approach with multiple Chief's
Reports requesting funds from the 2024, 2026, and 2028 WRDA funding cycles.
174-2024
2024 DRAFT CHIEF'S REPORT
The Draft Report encompasses two main sections: the Tentatively Selected Plan (TSP) and the
new program authorization requests.
Tentatively Selected Plan {TSP)
The recommended measures are located across six initial focus areas and have a total cost
estimate of $2.68 billion. The program currently proposes a 65% federal share.
The plan proposes dry flood proofing for 27 total critical facilities, ten of which are in Miami Beach
(City Hall, Fire Station 1, Fire Station 2, Fire Station 4, Fire Station Headquarters, Miami Beach
Convention Center, Miami Beach Police Department Headquarters, Miami Beach Senior High,
North Shore Community Center, and Scott Rakow Youth Center). Dry floodproofing makes an
area watertight so no water can enter the building without elevating the building.
The plan also proposes voluntary elevation of residential buildings (focusing on single-family and
4-unit multi-family buildings) and floodproofing of non-residential buildings. The TSP includes
approximately 2, 100 residential buildings elevation projects and 400 non-residential buildings dry
floodproofing projects. The North Beach focus area includes 440 residential elevations and 50
non-residential dry floodproofing projects. The South Beach focus area includes 170 residential
elevations and 100 non-residential dry flood proofing projects.
New Program Authorization Requests
The following two programs encompass project types that USACE is looking to further assess
and evaluate policy. These programs are innovative for USACE and require further assessment.
Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Pilot Program: NBS are engineered features designed to act in
concert with natural processes to provide risk management in coastal areas. The NBS Pilot
Program, with a recommended cost of $180 million, will provide a framework for identifying,
evaluating, implementing, and monitoring a diverse set of NBS pilot demonstration projects.
Nonstructural Program: This Program will include $200 million to further assess and implement
nonstructural measures for complex buildings such as hospitals, multifamily residences, and
critical infrastructure and non-residential facilities. Specific sites have not yet been identified.
NEXT STEPS
There is a 30-day public comment period with a virtual public webinar on May 7 (6PM to 8PM)
available at https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/MiamiDadeBackBayCSRMFeasibilityStudy/.
This period will involve ongoing coordination and briefings with key municipalities and other
stakeholders. In August 2024, a signed Chief's Report will be submitted for the 2024 WRDA.
For more information, please visit the USACE project
https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/MiamiDadeBackBayCSRMFeasibilityStudy/.
If you have any questions, please contact Amy Knowles, Chief Resilience Officer at
AmyKnowles@miamibeachfl.gov.
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