[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Item for 9/22/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

 

September 22, 2008

 

1.  Top Item -

 

 

 

Budget has $815 million for flood control

The San Francisco Chronicle- 9/20/08

By Peter Fimrite

 

PROPOSAL: About $815 million from Propositions 1E and 84 bond money will go to FloodSAFE California, a Department of Water Resources program to create a flood management and emergency response system throughout California. That includes $391 million for levee repair and flood-control projects in the Central Valley. The budget, however, does not include all the money for flood-control projects in the delta and storm-water improvements that the governor proposed. The spending plan would help companies refit exhaust-spewing diesel trucks and buses, reducing cancer- causing soot. All state parks and beaches would remain open.

WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU: The FloodSAFE program will help local governments protect communities from flooding and provide grants for levee repairs and improvements in the Central Valley and delta.

REACTION: "FloodSAFE funding will continue to provide increased flood protection for Californians, which Gov. Schwarzenegger has made one of his administration's top priorities," said Ted Thomas, spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources.#

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/20/MN3Q131AOP.DTL