This ETL provides guidelines to assure that landscape planting and vegetation management provide aesthetic and environmental benefits without compromising the reliability of levees, floodwalls, embankment dams, and appurtenant structures. It is important to note that all minimum guidelines presented herein are just that—minimums. The dimensions of the vegetation-free and root-free zones defined in this document provide the minimum acceptable buffer between vegetation and flood damage reduction structures. For each individual project, the design team must consider whether or not these minimums are adequate to the specific needs and conditions of the project.
