2025 USSD Annual Conference & Exhibition Sessions

The engineering and management practices for levees is rapidly evolving and the U.S. is investing more into levees than in past.  Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there has been a national paradigm shift on levees with an emphasis on reducing the impacts of flooding through improved understanding and assessment of levee performance and implementation of practices to better manage risk associated with levees.  Over this timeframe, there has been several watershed moments:  Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program (2009), establishment of a National Levee Database, and enhancement of levee design and construction practices through lessons learned on levee performance.  In the past, USSD has played a pivotal role facilitating these discussions and providing opportunities for effective technical engagement and exchange.  Currently, there is a great opportunity for USSD to continue to play this pivotal role. There are several ongoing, industry-wide impactful activities including the development of the first ever edition of the National Levee Safety Guidelines and the design and construction of billions of dollars of levees related infrastructure in coastal and riverine environments.  The development of National Levee Safety Guidelines requires a board technical collaboration among the levee community of practice and will also represent a shift to a set of more consistent levee practices.  Based on the current levels of levee infrastructure investment, there are many lessons learned and to be captured and shared. USSD Levee Committee held three levee safety workshops:  2009, 2010, and 2013.  These were workshops were well attended and centered around the outcomes of the Recommendations for a National Levee Safety Program.  Given the unprecedented levels of levee related activities, it is a perfect time to host another round of technical engagement workshops.

The Young Professionals (YP) Committee is excited to continue the success of their 2024 workshop. During the 2024 workshop, attendees sharpened their technical writing and data presentation skills and enhanced their networking and communication skills. Building on feedback from the 2024 workshop, the YP Committee aims to make these topics accessible for all conference attendees and build on previous learnings. This workshop will include a module on technical writing, expanding on what was discussed in 2024. Technical writing is paramount in the dam industry. During this workshop, the technical writing module will be focused on scope and proposal writing, a crucial first step for much of the work between consultants, contractors, owners, and even regulators. This workshop will also include a new module on confidence, which can be difficult to gain and maintain, especially for younger and newer professionals. This module will break confidence down into topics of combating “imposter syndrome”, developing self-advocacy, building mentorship, and navigating meeting dynamics that any industry professional at any experience level can find value in. Attendees will be given the opportunity to learn tips for and work on improving their confidence during this module. One final focus will be on goal setting and taking charge of one’s career. Goal setting is key to career success, and while many people have heard of “S.M.A.R.T.” goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound), setting them can be difficult. A third module will assist attendees to set a goal for the conference as a way to start developing the habit of setting effective goals. Lastly, while not a main focus, an element of networking will be brought into this workshop. The YP Committee observed that providing attendees an opportunity to get to know each other at the beginning of the conference improved their overall conference experience.

Join us for an inspiring morning 5/6 as we come together to celebrate legacy, leadership, and the power of mentorship. The Legacy Roundtable Breakfast offers a unique opportunity to connect with changemakers, honor the contributions of past trailblazers, and support the next generation of scholars through our scholarship fund. *this event is separate from the Legacy Lecture Lunch on Monday 5/5

If you are a Young Professional and would like to attend the YP Social, please add this to your registration as an rsvp.

The Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is pleased to introduce an advanced integration tool designed to simulate sediment transport from upstream watersheds through channels and into reservoirs. This tool specifically targets watershed sediment management, natural resources conservation planning, evaluation of water quality best management practices (BMPs), and determination of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). This significant enhancement equips the HEC's Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) with capabilities to accurately calculate surface soil erosion, channel sediment erosion and deposition, and reservoir siltation. HEC-HMS now incorporates upstream sediment time-series inflow data, reflecting future land use and climate change impacts, including the post-wildfire effects, for comprehensive reservoir sediment analysis. This approach replaces traditional reservoir input methods such as flow-sediment rating curves, offering a more dynamic and accurate means of assessing sediment transport and deposition. The primary objective of this workshop is to leverage the advanced sediment modeling methods within HEC-HMS to compute surface erosion, reach routing, and reservoir trap efficiency. The workshop is structured around two key components: 1) Informative Lectures: Participants will gain an in-depth understanding of sediment transport processes across watersheds. Topics will include surface erosion sediment equations, sediment transport functions, and reservoir trap efficiency equations implemented in HEC-HMS. 2 )Hands-On Training: Participants will engage in developing a comprehensive long-term sediment model, which involves parameter estimation, calibration, and practical application of HEC-HMS. By the end of the workshop, attendees will possess the skills necessary to effectively utilize HEC-HMS for watershed-scale sediment analysis, significantly enhancing their capabilities in watershed sediment management. This workshop provides a unique opportunity for professionals to stay at the forefront of sediment management technology and apply these methods to real-world scenarios.

During a Dam Failure, an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) serves as a detailed guide to aid responders in making timely and lifesaving choices. Knowing what to do in stressful situations when faced with making complex decisions under pressure is key to staying calm and under control. This four-hour detailed workshop will be divided into two sections, an initial overview presentation and an interactive dam failure EAP tabletop with multiple exercises and scenarios. There is no experience necessary, and no materials are required. Participants will gain a greater understanding of dam failures, necessary EAP details, incident command structure, and proactive vs. reactive response. Overall, attendees will leave the session being better prepared if they are ever faced with a partial or full dam failure.   The initial presentation portion will provide participants with information on typical dam failure mechanisms, types of dam breaches, an outline of EAP levels based on failure stage, what to do and who to call at each level, and specific response actions if no EAP is available.  In the second portion of the workshop, participants will utilize the information provided during the initial presentation (in addition to incident command leadership structure, proactive response, and direct communication) to immerse themselves into a large dam failure emergency while working as a team to understand various roles and actions to save a dam and save lives downstream. Post large event failure scenario, a debrief will occur with an overview and lessons learned. The larger team will then be subdivided into smaller groups. Each subgroup will engage in smaller simulated dam failure events, each with different response levels.    The workshops' goal is to educate participants, practice emergency management skills needed during a dam failure response, and provide lessons learned based on actual and simulated experiences.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is currently constructing the $529M KC Levees mega civil works project along the Kansas River in Kansas City, KS that will significantly reduce flood risk to 30,000 people and $10B of infrastructure, including a nationally critical transportation, distribution, and rail hub. The project includes two major aspects – structural improvements or full replacement of 13 pump stations and an average 5-foot raise to 17 miles of existing levees and floodwalls including 12 stoplog or sandbag closure structures within one of the largest rail hubs in the nation. Tour participants will have an opportunity to visit various components of the project including pump stations, levee and floodwall improvements, and a stoplog closure structure.

The objectives of this workshop are to improve the understanding of issues related to evaluating aging dam infrastructure with a sustainability focus by considering the economic, financial, environmental, policy, climate change, and regulatory aspects that underpin the decision to rehabilitate or remove dams and other water storage infrastructure. The workshop will enhance the understanding of sustainable decision making associated with aging dam infrastructure by: Examining the economic and financial implications of decision-making for rehabilitating or decommissioning dams; Discussing policy and regulatory aspects of dam decommissioning, environmental stewardship and sustainability; Participating in an interactive activity that illustrates the decision making process including sustainability considerations.