ABOUT THE NATIONAL LEVEE DATABASE

The National Levee Database captures all known levees in the U.S. It is designed to provide a variety of users the ability to search for specific data about levees and serves as a national resource to support awareness and actions to address flooding.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining the National Levee Database and works in close collaboration with other federal, state, and local governments and entities responsible for levees to obtain and share accurate and complete information.

It is important to note that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not responsible for the quality of all data in the database and relies upon data contributors such as levee owners and operators to ensure the data displayed is valid and correct.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers enters and updates most data in the National Levee Database; however, the agency is not responsible for generating all data displayed.

For example, a subset of data and information within the database is provided and kept up to date by FEMA. These fields have information related to the National Flood Insurance Program.

Each levee summary page includes a field entitled, “Data Last Updated.” The date stamp reflects the last time a field on a levee’s summary page was updated.

The amount of data for each levee can vary. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to work with federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, and entities to update data on an ongoing basis. Information can be submitted or requested to be changed by anyone at any time. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will coordinate with those responsible for oversight of the levee if the information or request did not originate from them.

There are several options to search data in the database. From the homepage, site visitors can use the search bar to type in a levee, a location, or similar information. There is a map view tool that allows users to interact with the data and click a location on a map to see nearby levees. Data is also available for download and sharing. For more information, please contact the helpdesk at NLD@usace.army.mil or 1-877-538-3387.

Data is updated regularly as new information becomes available for a levee. For example, those responsible for levees may submit updated data after a recently completed visual inspection or assessment. Data for newly constructed or modified levees is typically provided once construction is complete. If you have questions about a levee near you and when new data may be available, contact the helpdesk at NLD@usace.army.mil or 1-877-538-3387.

Should you notice data in in the tool that is out of date or incorrect, you are able to submit a data change request. When submitting a change request, you will be asked to provide information about the data that requires updating. This information will be reviewed by the team responsible for maintaining the National Levee Database, who will coordinate the request with the entity responsible for the levee.

Yes, you can use your address to search and see if that specific location is behind a levee. You can also search for and see levees nationally, by state, by county, or by city. Users can type their county, city, or state in the search bar and see results for levees near that location. For more information, please contact the helpdesk at NLD@usace.army.mil or 1-877-538-3387.

The database is not designed to answer whether an individual or community must purchase flood insurance. However, viewing where levees are and what flooding may occur near them can help people understand flooding they may experience.

Flood insurance is one of many tools individuals and communities can use to manage flooding they may experience and is encouraged. For more information, check out Flood Basics, or visit FEMA’s website on the National Flood Insurance Program, https://www.floodsmart.gov/.

The shaded area shown for each levee in the National Levee Database is a conservative estimate of the lands from which flood water would be excluded by the levee system. This shaded area can be called the leveed area, consequence area, or inundation area.

This shaded area is not the same as the special flood hazard area that is shown on a FEMA flood insurance rate map.

Your local authorities will let you know if or when you should prepare, take shelter, or evacuate using safe routes. Communities typically have a plan to notify and get people out of harm’s way when needed. These evacuation plans often consider how a dam or levee might reduce or contribute to flooding in a region.

For more information about having a plan and evacuating when told to do so, contact your local authorities, and visit Ready.gov, https://www.ready.gov/evacuation.

Levee systems across the country are operated and maintained by many different entities. In many cases, a single levee system is managed by multiple entities with different roles and responsibilities. About 2% of levees are maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, over 62% are maintained by a local or regional levee or water management entity, and less than 1% are maintained by other federal agencies or tribes. About 35% of levees in the National Levee Database do not yet have an identified lead. You can view the responsible entity for each levee on its summary page if the information is available.

The National Levee Database lists a responsible entity for each levee on its summary page. Most of these entities or organizations can be found by searching online. You can contact the helpdesk for more information about a specific levee or responsible entity, who will work to connect you with the right point of contact. Email or call the helpdesk: NLD@usace.army.mil or 1-877-538-3387.

Information in the National Levee Database can be used to help inform levee accreditation for the National Flood Insurance Program.

The National Flood Insurance Program is a voluntary program through which participating communities adopt and enforce regulations that help mitigate flooding effects. As part of this program, FEMA produces flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) which represent the area within a community subject to the 1-percent-annual-chance (base) flood. People and businesses within this area are required to purchase flood insurance and follow floodplain development regulations.

Levee accreditation refers to the process by which a community can seek recognition by FEMA to display a levee system on a flood insurance rate map for flood insurance purposes. Areas behind accredited levees are not required to purchase flood insurance but are still encouraged to do so.

To demonstrate a levee meets the criteria to be accredited, communities work with professional engineers and levee owners and operators to provide the required data to FEMA.

Data regularly collected and shared on the National Levee Database may have been used by communities and levee owners to supplement their efforts to seek levee accreditation.

FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are committed to using the National Levee Database to manage levee-related information that each agency uses for multiple purposes.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses a levee inspection tool that is directly linked to the National Levee Database and updates information as soon as it is documented in the field.

FEMA manages National Flood Insurance Program levee accreditation status in the National Levee Database.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses the National Levee Database to track information and actions on levees under its jurisdiction.

FEMA uses the levee centerline, profile, and leveed area information for all levees in the National Levee Database as part of risk rating.