Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 2, 2007
5. Agencies, Programs, People
Fargo urges flood tax; $326 million assessment vital to lure government funds to area, she says - Sacramento
LEVEE INSPECTIONS:
New Tool In The Local Fight Against Flooding - CBS Channel 13 (
DEVELOPMENT:
Guest Opinion: Solution is better levees, not building moratorium -
YC leaders take levees to Congress - Marysville Appeal Democrat
FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT:
Corps of Engineers begins flood-control work to protect
IRRIGATION DAM:
Irrigation dam nearing completion; District official says recent dry period likely won't disrupt water deliveries - Redding Record Searchlight
FOLSOM BRIDGE:
Feds come through with funding for Folsom bridge; Another $14 million will help completion by 2008
Auburn Journal
CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS:
Fargo
Sacramento
By Matt Weiser, staff writer
Calling flood protection vital to
The assessment, proposed by the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency, is now being decided by local property owners in a special vote-by-mail election. Ballots are due back to the agency by April 19.
About 140,000 property owners are affected by the election, which would replace two existing flood assessment districts.
The average property tax increase under the new assessment would be $35 per year.
"The entire region would be affected if we ever did have a flood," said Fargo, who is also SAFCA's current chairwoman. "That is why we are working so hard to get this assessment approved. This is clearly an investment worth making."
"We're not going to have a very viable economy if we're all under 5 or 15 feet of water," said chamber CEO Matt Mahood.
"We're the chamber of commerce. We're not for taxes and fees on business. But in this case, it seemed to make a lot of sense to invest in our own infrastructure on this public safety issue."
Also Friday, federal agencies rolled out a final environmental impact report on the region's largest flood-control project: the mammoth plan to modify Folsom Dam, which protects
The project has seen its share of trouble. In 2005, it was thrown off track when initial construction bids came in three times higher than expected.
Since then, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps of Engineers have worked together on a redesign. The project now centers on a new auxiliary spillway to be built just east of the existing main dam.
The new spillway would serve two purposes: It would have six new outlet gates below the water surface to release water faster, effectively boosting flood-storage capacity; and the spillway itself would allow much bigger flows from the surface that might otherwise destroy the dam.
The project also calls for a 3.5-foot height increase in the main dam and the earthen dikes that contain Folsom Reservoir to increase flood storage, said Army Corps project manager Creg Hucks.
Cooperation by the two agencies resulted in huge cost and time savings. Officials now estimate the dam modifications and the raise will cost $1.35 billion.
That is several hundred million dollars cheaper than the most recent estimates, and about $1 billion cheaper than the previous design, said Jeff McCracken, Bureau of Reclamation spokesman.
SAFCA's share of the dam project is about $146 million.
Construction is expected to begin in September and finish in 2014, providing 200-year flood protection or the ability to withstand a flood with a half-percent chance of occurring in any year.
The dam raise would boost protection to the 240-year level, said Hucks. But more study is needed to determine whether the raise can also be finished by 2014.
"Our goal is to deliver the most flood protection at the earliest possible date to the city of
Hucks said the two agencies took extra steps to ensure confidence in their new cost estimates. Economic experts from the Army Corps' Walla Walla District were more deeply involved in reviewing costs, and the corps hired a
Another key change in the project is that planners now intend to keep Folsom Point open to the public during construction, said McCracken.
The popular area had been proposed as a construction staging area.
But plans now calls for staging equipment elsewhere and moving construction vehicles through the area in a huge trench. Public traffic would cross the trench on a bridge to reach Folsom Point.
On Sunday and Monday, the state Department of Water Resources will conduct aerial levee surveys in the
A helicopter will fly low over levees in
The data will help the state decide how to spend $4.1 billion in bond funds that voters approved in November for flood projects.
"
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/147323.html
LEVEE INSPECTIONS:
New Tool In The Local Fight Against Flooding
CBS Channel 13 (
Steve Large, reporting
(CBS13)
It’s no ordinary helicopter.
Its been transformed into a hovering, radar imaging machine, helping California geologists figure out what levees in our valley, need to be fixed to protect us from a 200-year flood.
With that as a reminder, lawmakers and scientists are trying to move fast, to prevent a deadly scenario. The helicopter is helping.
“This method of using a helicopter based radar system will allow us to rapidly collect data over the 350 miles of urban levees in under a week,” says Steve Mahnke with the Department of Water Resources.
Scientists doing this work from the ground would have taken up to four months.
You may have seen that helicopter flying at about 500 feet overhead today. The survey will continue tomorrow. #
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_092013042.html
DEVELOPMENT:
Guest Opinion: Solution is better levees, not building moratorium
By Wes Keusder, 2007 chairman of the California Building Industry Association
We're all wiser now about flood risk in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, but it's time to stop using the disaster as a guise for promoting limits on growth in areas like Sacramento, where Californians want to live, work and play.
The issue is public safety -- everyone's -- so just saying, "No more housing," as the column says, won't fix levees or improve flood protection. Flooding at any depth is undesirable but with housing in such high demand in the region, fixing levees and making it safe to build new homes should be the objective.
In the aftermath of natural disasters such as the Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes, most Californians ignored calls for limits and instead insisted that freeways be fixed and homes be rebuilt.
"Let's rebuild."
Demonizing homebuilders to support the let's-give-up attitude about flood risk and growth in the region is unfortunate. From
Making suburban homes and urban homes safe from floodwaters is not only possible, it should be the focus of any discussions on flood protections. Simply imposing new and unnecessary building moratoria will only serve to exacerbate the state's housing shortage and is counter to the spirit of
Wes Keusder, 2007 chairman of the California Building Industry Association, is responding to the Stuart Leavenworth's March 2 column "Time to restrict building in the deepest floodplains." #
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/147051.html
YC leaders take levees to Congress
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 4/1/07
By John Dickey, staff writer
A levee trouble spot that could threaten
“If that ever broke it, would really flood
Miller was joined by Sutter County Supervisors Dan Silva and Larry Munger, Yuba City City Manager Steven Jepsen and Sutter County Administrator Larry Combs in trying to shake loose federal money for levee work, highway and sewer projects, and jobs programs.
“For the time we were there, we were extremely effective,” said Silva.
Miller said the trip, estimated to cost about $6,000 for the five officials, was likely to bring some additional federal funds to the area.
“I think we will see some definite benefit,” said Miller.
One benefit may be focusing attention on a
Underseepage problems in the levee appeared after the 1997 floods, which prompted a round of repairs by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
One piece still remains – a 3,000-foot, $5 million slurry wall near the intersection of the canal with the Sutter Bypass. After small boils were seen near the levee in 1997 and 1998, the Army Corps recommended in 2002 that a slurry wall be built using emergency funding, according to Corps records.
“It’s the Army Corps levee, and that’s the question we asked, ‘Why hasn’t it been fixed?,’” said Miller.
Corps spokesman Dave Killam says the project is well under way, with its design work 65 percent complete.
The complicated project has required time to develop the best engineering solution, according to Killam.
A seepage berm was first proposed but would have required that nearby real estate be condemned. Because of that, and for environmental reasons, the Corps decided a slurry wall would be a better alternative.
Once the Corps receives $3.5 million in funding, the design work can be completed and a contract awarded in about three months, said Killam.
Money was included in the Fiscal Year 2007 Emergency Supplemental Bill that was passed by the Senate on Thursday.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on March 22 included $94.1 million to shore up
But the legislation still has to clear several hurdles including a possible presidential veto over
The
Once the canal levee is fixed, there is likely to be more work needed to improve levees protecting
“The main thing we want is for the Corps to finish the feasibility study,” said Jepsen.
The hope is that the Army Corps would accelerate work on the study and generate information that
Local officials hope to pick up the pace of work as
Local officials also spoke with officials in
$750,000 for studies to enhance traffic capacity in Highway 99 through
$100,000 to start a restoration project on
$2,500,000 for wastewater and drinking water service to Sutter.
$500,000 for the
$150,000 for a
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/onset?id=551&template=article.html
FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT:
Corps of Engineers begins flood-control work to protect
Riverside Press
By Melaine C. Johnson, staff writer
Crews recently began preliminary site work on the national housing tract dike, which runs below a hilltop neighborhood near Rincon and Auburndale streets and another dike that loops around the rear of
Construction of the dikes is part of the $500 million Prado Dam project, which also includes raising the dam 28.4 feet, increasing the height of the spillway 20 feet and building a new outlet system, said Girish Desai, project manager.
The project will provide protection from a 190-year flood, the worst possible flood imaginable, Desai said.
"We have a choice," he said. "Move people or protect them by building the dikes."
The Army Corps is partnering with the Orange County Resources and Development Management Department, the agency responsible for acquiring the lands needed to build the dikes.
The improvements to Prado Dam, built in 1941, are a segment of the $1.7 billion Santa Ana River Flood Control Project, with levee, creek and dam projects stretching from
The dikes are two of nine planned for the area, including the completed SR-71 dike and one in the design phase slated for the
Others planned include the auxiliary dike, the closest to Prado Dam, the prison dike at the California Institution for Women, the Yorba Slaughter Adobe dike in
In early 2005, more than 2,000 people living in a housing tract and a mobile-home community near
Another low-lying area prone to flooding, the
The city of
"Even if you built a dike, the dike would be so high, that it would disturb the landing and take off," Desai said.
Ati Eskandari,
Steven Rosko, an airport master leaseholder with several properties at the site, said he accepts that the airport won't be protected in case of flood because of where it sits, but it is not a huge deal.
"When we get that 10- or 20-year flood, yes we're going to get a little bit wet," Rosko said. "We know that. My buildings are metal so if it happens, we'll get them cleaned up and move on."
The Army Corps and the Orange County Flood Control District hosted a community meeting earlier this month regarding construction of the two dikes. About 40 people attended, officials said.
Fernando Cano, project manager, said the contractor has put up sound walls around the site of the treatment plant dike to protect wildlife. He said crews also are working on landscape design as a buffer between homes and the national housing tract dike.
Crews at both sites are using water trucks to keep down the dust, he said.
Mayor Eugene Montanez said most of
"We have dams further upstream to help the Inland areas," he said. "These will help the downstream areas into
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_cdikes31.d65cb7.html
IRRIGATION DAM:
Irrigation dam nearing completion; District official says recent dry period likely won't disrupt water deliveries
Redding Record Searchlight – 4/1/07
By Tim Hearden, staff writer
Let the water flow.
Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District work crews Saturday were finishing the nearly weeklong task of installing the seasonal diversion dam at
"I know our customers are anxious to get some water because it has been dry," ACID general manager Stan Wangberg said. "I'm sure there's someone who can use the water, so (crews have) been working hard" to finish, he said.
Crews were supposed to begin Monday installing the roughly 500 planks of wood that complete the 91-year-old diversion dam, but rain prevented them from starting until Tuesday, Wangberg said. The dam stays up during the warm months of the year and is typically taken down in early November, to make way for stronger river flows during the winter.
To install the dam, workers raise iron bays hinged to the permanent concrete pylons and insert wood planks that are 3 inches thick and 6 inches wide. The structure includes a catwalk on which the workers can proceed across the river.
The dam raises the water so that about 275 cubic feet per second can be sent down ACID's main canal. Last year, the district irrigated about 6,700 acres from
The installment comes as the north state is on a pace to have one of its driest years on record. The lack of rain likely won't affect water deliveries, however.
Under ACID's water contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, cutbacks kick in if less than 3.2 million acre-feet of runoff flows into
http://www.redding.com/news/2007/apr/01/irrigation-dam-nearing-completion/
FOLSOM BRIDGE:
Feds come through with funding for Folsom bridge; Another $14 million will help completion by 2008
Auburn Journal – 4/1/07
By Gus Thompson, staff writer
U.S. Rep. John Doolittle lauded U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials and the Bush Administration on Thursday for keeping federal funding on track for the new Folsom bridge over the
With work already started this month on the two-mile-long bridge project downstream of the Folsom Dam, the corps informed Doolittle this past week that it has allocated $48.7 million in its new 2007 fiscal budget.
At the same time, the Bush Administration's proposed budget for fiscal 2008 contains another $14 million -- which is enough to complete bridge construction in time for cars to cross it before the end of the 2008 year.
Doolittle said that he had received assurances that the funding would be there but that a change in personnel with the corps meant new people were unaware of previous pledges. Doolittle said he worked hard with past and current officials to reinforce that previous promises could be met.
"Defense Assistant Secretary of Civil Works John Paul Woodley, who participated in the bridge groundbreaking ceremony in February, proved a key contact and made the bridge a top priority," Doolittle said. "He understands how important this bridge is for our community and he has done everything possible to keep it on track." #
http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2007/03/30/news/top_stories/03folsombridge30.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS:
By Roger Sideman, staff writer
The city of
Last week, city leaders authorized a program to study ways to buffer the river levee against ocean intrusion and counter coastal erosion, both likely problems associated with global warming.
The city also is remapping flood zones to reflect the encroaching coastline under sea-level-rise projections.
But while
"People are worried, there's a readiness to take action, but hardly anything is being done," said Susanne Moser, a research scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., who surveyed 300 planners, public works engineers and other officials from city and county governments.
When the study was conducted last year, only the city of
Eight other
Those surveyed said it's tough to act due to lack of money and other obligations.
"It's not that they need better information," Moser said, "it's that few have time to think about it. There's too much else on their plate"
Complicating the problem is that responsibility for coastal management — protecting homes, providing water, preserving natural habitat — is spread over multiple state agencies, state commissions and local governments.
Legislation proposed by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, would force cities to better prepare for impacts associated with climate change, such as sea-level rise, by revising local plans and seeking state funding for communities to understand, mitigate and adapt to climate change.
"We're learning quickly how important it is to expand the climate-change discussion to include preparing for future impacts, while also working today to reduce consumption that results in global warming," Laird said in a statement.
The bill was prompted by the results of Moser's government survey.
Specifically, it would require coastal cities and counties to consider the impact of climate change when preparing, updating or amending a Local Coastal Plan as required by the state Coastal Commission.
Last week, city Planning Director Greg Larson, visiting Silicon Valley, told a crowd of city planners from around the state that
The downtown river levees are built for a 100-year flood level, Larson said, and the city's water supply is not dependent on Sierra snow pack, an essential part of California's water supply that some projections suggest will drop 30 to 70 percent by the end of the century.
A desalination plant in the works would protect the city against draught and the city is researching appropriate responses to coastal erosion.
But there's more to be done, Larson acknowledged.
Most of Santa Cruz will be submerged if Antarctica and Greenland's ice sheets calve or melt entirely, a scenario that climate scientists say will play out in anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years if current trends continue.
The city will reveal a clearer picture later this month when it completes mapping new flood zones.
A new report to be released next week from the United Nations panel on climate change will highlight a growing climate divide, with wealthy nations like the
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