Flood Protection Meets Water Conservation
From a funding gap to enacted authority, ENS designed the policy path, obtained the increase, and unlocked a project that now recharges groundwater instead of losing it to the ocean.
The Problem
An urban county needed flood protection improvements that also captured stormwater for groundwater recharge rather than losing it to the ocean. The existing federal cost-share fell short of what the combined project required, and regulatory approvals were not assured.
What ENS Did
- ✓ Designed a policy option tailored to the project's dual flood protection and water conservation needs
- ✓ Assisted in drafting authorizing language to increase the federal funding contribution by $100 million
- ✓ Built the technical and legislative case tying the higher federal share to the project's dual benefits
- ✓ Engaged members, committee staff, and federal agencies to secure the required regulatory approvals
- ✓ Positioned the project to move from authorization to construction once approvals were obtained
The Result
Congress authorized a $100 million increase in the federal funding contribution and the project's regulatory approvals moved forward — turning a flood protection investment into a long-term water supply benefit, with stormwater now captured for groundwater recharge instead of discharged to the ocean.