Book Description

A preliminary field test was made of the Water Resources Assessment Methodology (WRAM). Intended for use by an interdisciplinary team, WRAM is a systematic approach to assessment of impacts and evaluation of alternatives for water resource programs and projects. This pilot field application of WRAM to the Tensas River Project in eastern Louisiana primarily used existing data. Background of the Tensas River Project is presented as well as a description of the study area and the flood-control alternatives under consideration by the U.S. Army Engineer District, Vicksburg. An interdisciplinary team was formed to conduct the field test. Assessment variables were selected and weighted relative to their importance in assessment and evaluation within each of the four accounts delineated by Principles and Standards: national economic development (NED), environmental quality (EQ), social well-being (SWB), and regional development (RD). The projected effects on each variable were then scaled across alternatives and the without-project condition.