U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces accelerated action for Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Study at Climate Leadership Summit

Today, at the 15th Annual Climate Leadership Summit, hosted by Miami-Dade County, Assistant Secretary of the Army Michael Connor announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will accelerate the timeline for the identification of projects included in the Miami-Dade County Back Bay Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study (Back Bay Study). 

“Miami-Dade County is poised for transformative climate action, and the U.S. Army Corps’ unprecedented decision means we are fast-tracking projects that benefit our residents.,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are ready to take advantage of the increasing and new Federal funding streams available with shovel ready projects, and innovative climate resilience solutions that integrate nature and that will protect our greatest resource, our people. We want to thank the USACE for their continued partnership and their willingness to think outside the box in the name of community resilience.”

The U.S. Army Corps recognizing both Miami-Dade County’s risk to storm surge and Mayor Levine Cava’s vision for community resilience made the historic and unprecedented decision to accelerate the Back Bay Study.  Specifically, the Corps and Miami-Dade County will work together to identify projects that protect critical infrastructure to enable their inclusion in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024 while concurrently advancing efforts to identify projects in locations most suitable for non-structural measures such as the elevation of homes and the floodproofing of commercial structures in frontline communities. 

The announcement comes following the White House’s Tuesday release of the National Climate Assessment which underscores the urgency with which we must take action to protect Miami-Dade County’s people and infrastructure from harmful climate impacts.  

“As the National Climate Assessment illustrated, climate-based challenges are increasing in magnitude and complexity. Similarly, our approach to addressing these challenges needs to evolve along with the types of infrastructure we implement with our partners. Fortunately, in south Florida, we have strong partnerships pushing innovation and investing significant resources to meet these challenges,” said Michael Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

Miami-Dade County and the U.S. Army Corps are committed to continued partnership in the development and integration of multiple studies across the County that protect residents from the impacts of climate change and with an eye on securing funding in the short and longer terms through the WRDA and other avenues.