“The Standard Project Flood, a “derived discharge” estimate, represents a flood that can be expected from the most severe combination of meteorologic and hydrologic conditions that are considered reasonably characteristic of the region. Where floods are predominantly the result of melting snow, the SPF is based on estimates of the most critical combinations of meteorological events (snow, rain, temperature, etc.) considered reasonably characteristic of the region. Since it is based on estimates of typical meteorological events, the Standard Project Flood is not associated with a specific return interval (as is the 100-year flood)”. (Galloway, A California Challenge…, 2007, pp. 15-16) “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates that the Standard Project Flood, “is intended as a practicable expression of the degree of protection to be considered for situations where protection of human life and high-valued property is required, such as for an urban levee or floodwall”. 32 It was the de facto U.S. Army Corps of Engineers standard until the 1980’s when the institution of local-federal cost sharing for levee construction began. At that time, it became economically beneficial for communities to build only to the 100-year standard, given that achievement of 100-year protection removed the community behind the levee from the insurance and land-use requirements (and costs) of the National Flood Insurance Program and reduced the size (and the local costs) of the levee construction”. (Galloway, 2007, 16)