VSF 03.03.01: Levee Inspection Team Member

From Portland NET Wiki

A Volunteer Support Function (VSF) is a functional area under which volunteers carry out their responsibilities. Each VSF is broken into position assignments. VSF 03.03 is the position assigned to NETs when volunteering with the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District (UFSWQD) as a Levee Inspection Team Member.

The UFSWQD manages 27 miles of levees that divert Columbia River and Lower Columbia Slough floodwaters away from properties within the District boundaries. Though the levee system is well maintained, there are still known areas with risk drivers that should receive special attention during emergency response.

Inspection during high water events is critical to ensure proper operation of the flood management system. By identifying problems early on, issues can be prevented or slowed down. During a flood emergency, monitoring the levee system condition is necessary to ensure that emergency risk reduction measures are initiated quickly to avoid adverse impacts of delayed response.



Summary

Support the safety and integrity of local levees by conducting routine visual inspections using provided go-kits and reporting findings. Inspections and maintenance of the levee system promotes levee integrity in the larger effort to protect lives and property. Levee inspection volunteers are:

  • Critical to early detection: Routine inspections help UFSWQD catch small issues before they become serious—like erosion, animal burrows, or seepage—that could compromise flood protection.
  • Emergency readiness: Knowing the condition of levees ahead of a storm or flood event makes emergency response faster, more informed, and safer.
  • Community resilience: Your involvement helps maintain a vital line of defense that protects homes, businesses, and infrastructure in flood-prone areas.
  • Disaster nexus: Levee failure during a flood can cause catastrophic damage. These inspections are a frontline prevention measure.
Blue Skies/Grey Skies Summary
During Blue Skies, these volunteers... During Grey Skies, these volunteers...
...train with UFSWQD personnel as needed to be ready to deploy during a high water event. ...patrol levees during high water events and report and document potential trouble spots.

Related Volunteer Positions

VSF 03.03.02: Debris Removal Task Force Member

Responsibilities

  • Be familiar with Levee Threat Monitoring Guidelines (UFSWQD Flood Emergency Action Plan, Appendix M, 2016).
  • Patrol levees in teams of two to identify sand boils, erosion, and overtopping.
  • Monitor floodwalls for leaks in the monolith joints and for other sources of seepage.
  • Use radios for communications (radios provided by UFSWQD during deployment).
  • Report immediate concerns to UFSWQD Division Supervisor or Operations Section Chief, or otherwise hourly.
  • Use cell phone to take photos of issues as they arise and change to document the incident for reporting.
  • Use cell phone to document levee inspection forms.
  • Participate in scheduled training, drills, and activation exercises to maintain operational competence.
  • Represent PBEM professionally and follow safety and operational guidelines at all times.
  • Log all volunteer hours.
Position ID VSF 03.03.01: Levee Inspection Team Member
Mission Area Preparedness Response Recovery
Lead Agency Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District (UFSWQD); deployments issued by PBEM.
Active NET Required? Yes.
Structure Levee Inspection Team Members work in pairs and report to an UFSWQD Division Supervisor or Operations Section Chief.
Relevant Knowledge, Skills, Abilities Basic radio operation principles, including radio etiquette.
Licenses and Certifications None required.
Currency Required to complete a Criminal Background Check at PBEM's expense every three years.

✍️ Completion of a training refresher at the start of each rainy season with UFSWQD.

Physical Requirements ✍️ Volunteers must travel along unpaved inspection routes [approx distance or shift duration?], often in rough weather. They should carry a personal daypack.
Task Book None at this time.
PPE and Recommended Equipment PPE: Weather appropriate/watertight clothes and watertight footwear designed for trails.

Equipment: UFSWQD issued radio, personal cell phone (for emergency communications and to document levee trouble spots), personal daypack with drinking water and snacks.

Forms ✍️ Levee Inspection Form
Updated 2025.09.15
Released 2025.05.12

Training for VSF 03.03.01: Levee Inspection Team Member

Important note: ONLY the trainings listed as REQUIRED are required! Optional training and supplemental resources are presented as a path for a volunteer to increase their knowledge and confidence carrying out their volunteer responsibilities. However, no volunteer's Active status depends on completing training marked as "Optional" or "Supplemental". For more information, please visit the article on Position Descriptions: Training Section.

Training or Resource Type Delivery Duration Learning Objective
UFSWQD Levee Inspection Training Required In-person ✍️ hours Learn everything needed to qualify as a Levee Inspection Team Member, including how to spot trouble areas and reporting.

VSF VSF 03.03.01: Levee Inspection Team Member Knowledge Base

File/Resource Description Author Publish Date
Levee Threat Monitoring Guidelines (UFSWQD Flood Emergency Action Plan, Appendix M, 2016) ✍️ ✍️ ✍️
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