NORFOLK, VA – On May 11, the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) hosted an award ceremony at its national annual conference in Raleigh, NC. The City of Norfolk was selected as the recipient of James Lee Witt Local Award for Excellence in Floodplain Management for the Ohio Creek Watershed Project.
The ASFPM established the James Lee Witt Local Award for Excellence in Floodplain Management to recognize outstanding programs or activities at the front lines of floodplain management. Local governments from across the country, including cities, towns, and counties, and certain regional forms of local government compete for the Witt Award annually. Eligible entries include either an overall program or a specific project or activities that epitomize the best in floodplain management.
The Commonwealth of Virginia, through the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the City of Norfolk was awarded a $112 million grant for the Ohio Creek Watershed Project. To address the area challenges, the Ohio Creek Watershed Project implements a distributed, replicable, and community-oriented approach to resiliency. In addition, this integrated flood control system makes coastal residents active participants in water management, creates green spaces to hold and absorb excess water while filtering it to remove pollutants, and creates natural walking trails that reconnect the neighborhoods. The expanded green and open space needed to hold water provides residents with recreational amenities, creating neighborhoods where people choose to live. The Resilience Park connects the Grandy Village and Chesterfield Heights neighborhoods and includes an earthen berm, a restored tidal creek and wetland and other environmental features as well as a multi-use sports field and places for community gatherings. The Resilience Park strives to be a model for resilient open space that is uniquely Norfolk. Anticipated completion of the project is May 2023.
The City of Norfolk is proud to be a national leader of resilience and in advancing the ASFPM strategic initiatives of educating policymakers on sound floodplain management policies and practices; improving the knowledge of floodplain managers through the Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) certification program; delivering on-going professional development and training events; conducting applied research, promoting emerging technologies, and developing tools that address all aspects of flooding and floodplain management; and increasing international awareness on flooding and flood loss reduction.
Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) consists of 7,000 individual members, along with chapter members and corporate and agency partners, who come from a variety of backgrounds, including local, state, and federal floodplain managers and other governmental officials, industry representatives, higher education researchers, professionals at non-profit organizations, and other interested individuals.