CALENDAR ALERTS

November 22 – Deadline to apply for DPC’s Delta Leadership Program

December 10 -CCVFCA 2024 FLOOD FORUM, Dante Club, Sacramento, 10:00 am

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

Governor Signs Urban Flooding Legislation - Two bills were signed into law by Governor Newsom to help municipalities prevent major urban flooding by allowing them to clean storm channels quicker and more frequently – AB 2501 and 3227. Assembly Bill 3227 gets rid of some of the state environmental delays and helps expedite regular maintenance of storm water channels. The bill applies to channels that are fully concrete or have less than a 100-year storm capacity to ensure they are adequately maintained ahead of significant weather events. Assembly Bill 2501 allows for expedited review of permit applications for critical infrastructure projects addressing storm channel maintenance.
Secretary of Water Appointed - Governor Newsom announced the appointment of Samantha Arthur as the Deputy Secretary of Water at the Natural Resources Agency (NRA). Since 2023 she has been the Assistant Secretary of the Salton Sea Policy at the NRA. Prior to working for the Administration, she worked for the Audubon California and served on the CA Water Commission from 2020 through 2023.
Legislature Approves Climate Bond - Just in time to qualify for the November 2024 ballot, the State Legislature and Governor approved a $10 billion bond to address climate change that will appear on the ballot as Proposition 4.

DELTA ISSUES

Levee Breaching Ceremony at Lookout Slough - On September 18th, DWR hosted a levee breaching ceremony to celebrate the completion of the Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration Project. After breaking ground in June 2022, construction for the project included building over 3-miles of a 25-foot-tall setback levee, which provides 100-year flood protection with allowances for future sea level rise, excavating 26-miles of open tidal channels, and restoring native habitat through grading, fill placement, and natural revegetation. The breached site provides over 40,000-acre feet of additional flood storage within the Yolo Bypass.
DWR Files Certification of Consistency for Tunnel Activities - A certification of consistency was filed with the Delta Stewardship Council by the Department of Water Resources for geotechnical drilling activities conducting exploration to facilitate the design of the Delta Conveyance Project tunnel infrastructure.
Delta Organizations File Water Rights Protests and Injunction on DCP - In addition to the NDWA filing a water rights protest on the Delta Conveyance Project change in diversion point petition, a coalition of California tribes, environmental organizations, and fishing groups also filed a protest. A coalition that includes Sacramento County also filed an injunction to prevent geotechnical drilling without an environmental analysis under CEQA. Oral arguments were heard by Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto on May 31, 2024.
Higher Price Tag for Delta Tunnels - DWR released new cost-benefit estimates and FAQ for the construction of the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) that reveal the cost has increased by $4 billion since the last estimate was announced four years ago. Despite the rising price tag, DWR claims the benefits of the project still outweigh the $20.1 billion cost estimate. Opponents of the project maintain that the DCP is an expensive boondoggle that will imperil the ecosystem and Delta as place. Restore the Delta specifically claims the cost analysis failed to adequately recognize the effects on local communities, tribes, the Delta environment, and the state’s fishing industry. According to Dr. Jeff Michael, professor of public policy at McGeorge School of Law, disputes DWR’s assertion that the DCP is less expensive than desalinization project water. Congressman Josh Harder slammed the project for its intent to benefit Beverly Hills while harming the Delta in terms of lost farmland, unhealthy air quality, reduced water quality, and more detrimental effects. The Delta Counties Coalition criticized the analysis for being based on unreasonable assumptions and expressed frustration with the state’s refusal to study alternatives to a tunnel. On the legal front, the County of Sacramento and the Sacramento County Water Agency filed a motion for preliminary injunction to stop geotechnical drilling related to the DCP until DWR files a certification of consistency with the Delta Stewardship Council.
Permit Portal Created for Tunnel Project - A website was created by DWR that lists each of the permits and regulatory compliance requirements it must complete before starting construction of the Delta Conveyance Project. According to Californians for Water Security, statewide polling they conducted indicates 76% of voters support the Delta Conveyance Project. This organization was created to promote construction of the tunnel project.

3050 Beacon Blvd., Suite 203

West Sacramento, CA, 95691

(916) 446-0197

Melinda Terry, Executive Director

FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS

West Sacramento Celebrates Levee Improvements - On Earth Day, the City of West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero hosted dignitaries, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District Commander Col. Chad Caldwell and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, to celebrate the success of the 5.6-mile Southport Levee Improvement Project with more than 77,000 flourishing plants covering 120-acres. The city also has two other ongoing levee projects: Yolo Bypass East and Sacramento River West North.

LATEST NEWS

USACE Proposes Categorical Permission for Minor Alterations - On September 4, 2024, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a public notice announcing a proposal to allow categorical permission under Section 408 permits in the South Pacific Division for minor alterations to federally authorized projects. USACE South Pacific Division proposes to reduce Section 408 request review times by simplifying engineering and environmental analysis for specific categories of minor alterations within the division’s boundaries (Figure 1), excluding consultation required under Section 106 of the National Historical Preservation Act. A programmatic environmental assessment is being prepared in conjunction with the proposed categorical permissions to identify, analyze and evaluate environmental impacts of the potential alterations. CCVFCA will develop comments to submit by the October 4, 2024 deadline.
Improving Stream Flow Measurement - DWR announced it is seeking to partner with public agencies to install, upgrade and/or reactivate existing stream gage stations through the $7 million California Stream Gage Improvement Program (CalSIP). This effort will expand California’s ability to access critical data that can inform important water management decisions during both flood and drought conditions. Information on eligible agencies, how to apply, and application deadlines can be found in the program guidelines.
A History of Flood Risk Reduction in Yuba County - The Sacramento News & Review publication provides a historical recitation on the more than 60 years of flood risk reduction efforts implemented by the Yuba Water Agency. The article describes the hydraulic mining in the middle of the 19th century and growth of agricultural production in the 20th century, as well as the folks in the 21st century planning for the future under climate change.