BATON ROUGE, La. (July 28, 2020) - Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services celebrating 80 Years of Making a Difference, was selected by the Council on Watershed Management Agencies (Louisiana) for three contracts for the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, which aims to manage future flood risk in the state through watershed-based solutions. Michael Baker has been awarded watershed modeling work in three of Louisiana’s eight watershed regions: Region 1 (subconsultant), Region 4 (subconsultant) and Region 6 (prime consultant). The firm will develop modeling tools to predict flooding, recommend best approaches to mitigate flood risk and determine the upstream and downstream environmental and economic impacts. Work is expected to begin in Summer 2020 and continue for 4-5 years with ongoing updates and maintenance of the models potentially running for a decade.
“Our team is proud to be a part of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative and help develop a comprehensive suite of hydrologic, hydraulic and consequence models to help the state of Louisiana screen and prioritize projects to reduce flood risk for future generations,” said Suad Cisic, National Practice Lead, Water. “We look forward to partnering with the Council on Watershed Management Agencies (Louisiana) on this important work. The mitigation solutions we recommend will impact peoples’ lives across the region and provide opportunities to improve their quality of life.”
The Louisiana Watershed Initiative was created in response to two historic rain events in March and August 2016 that produced trillions of gallons of rainwater and an estimated $10 billion in damage. Aimed at mitigating weaknesses in the state’s approach to floodplain management and risk-reduction planning at all levels of government, the Louisiana Watershed Initiative is a coordinated, interagency effort focused on reducing flood risk and increasing resilience throughout Louisiana.
To effectively reduce flood risk through decision making and project implementation, particularly when considering locally feasible strategies for flood recovery, hydraulic and hydrologic (H&H) watershed models help understand how water behaves and the interconnectivity within and between watersheds. Associated economic consequence models help evaluate the benefits of proposed infrastructure projects and policy changes . Michael Baker will work to provide a clear picture of the relative conditions within each watershed. This will inform structural, policy and land use decisions by allowing decision makers to compare the ability of alternative solutions to reduce risk.
About Michael Baker International
Michael Baker International, celebrating 80 Years of Making a Difference, is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services, including design, planning, architectural, environmental, construction and program management. The company provides its comprehensive range of services and solutions to support U.S. federal, state, and municipal governments, foreign allied governments, and a wide range of commercial clients. Michael Baker’s more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement to help solve challenges for clients and communities throughout the country. To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.
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Contact: Julia Covelli
Email: julia.covelli@mbakerintl.com
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