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Beyond the Floodplain: The Levee Was Dry Expands Its Focus

By Scott L. Shapiro on August 24, 2026
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Expansion of Blog

Friends and Colleagues,

Since its launch, The Levee Was Dry has served as a forum for commentary on flood risk and floodplain management. As the legal and policy issues shaping California’s and the United States’ water landscape continue to evolve, so too has the conversation.

We’re excited to share that The Levee Was Dry is expanding beyond its traditional focus on flood risk and floodplain management. In the months ahead, the blog will feature commentary and analysis on a broader range of water law topics, including water rights, groundwater, environmental regulation, infrastructure, and other issues influencing the state’s water future.

While the blog’s scope is evolving, our commitment remains the same: to provide thoughtful perspectives on complex issues and foster conversations with the agencies, businesses, and stakeholders we serve.

We invite you to stay connected and watch for new content in the coming weeks.

Photo of Scott L. Shapiro Scott L. Shapiro

Scott Shapiro is known for his expertise in flood protection improvement projects throughout California’s Central Valley. He is helping clients with more than a billion dollars in projects in California’s Central Valley and issues involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the…

Scott Shapiro is known for his expertise in flood protection improvement projects throughout California’s Central Valley. He is helping clients with more than a billion dollars in projects in California’s Central Valley and issues involving the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) throughout the Western United States.

With a special focus on massive flood protection improvement projects, Scott advises clients through regulatory, contractual, financing, and legislative challenges. Acting as general or special counsel, he regularly interacts with senior management at USACE (Headquarters, South Pacific Division, and Sacramento District), the California Department of Water Resources, and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. He was named to the National Section 408 Task Force and has been invited to give testimony to the National Academies. Scott was instrumental in helping the first regional flood improvement agency that took a basin threatened by flood risk from less than 30-year level of protection to a level of protection approaching 200-year.

Having worked with FEMA on issues of floodplain mapping and levee accreditation for many years, Scott has developed collaborative environments in which he fosters win-win solutions for his clients. He is also currently serving as the lead counsel on a flood insurance rate map (FIRM) appeal and has drafted Federal legislation to modify the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) several times.

Scott is known throughout the region for his extensive litigation experience focusing on cases arising from levee failures. He has litigated levee failures resulting from underseepage, failed encroachments, and rodent burrows as well as briefing levee overtopping cases at the appellate level. Scott is one of the few attorneys with experience litigating flood cases on behalf of plaintiffs as well as defendant government entities.

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  • Posted in:
    Environmental and Climate, Real Estate & Construction
  • Blog:
    The Levee Was Dry
  • Organization:
    Downey Brand LLP
  • Article: View Original Source

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