The Daily Democrat
September 26, 2012

Three measures designed to enhance flood protection and job creation by area Sen. Lois Wolk were signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday.

The new laws, which received near unanimous support from both sides of the aisle, will take effect Jan. 1.

“I applaud the Governor’s decision to sign these bills into law,” said Wolk, D-Davis. “At a time when California’s water wars continue to escalate, I am encouraged by the fact that such a broad group of stakeholders was able to come together, find common ground, and work to enact these three water measures for the benefit of the Delta and the state.”

Included in the package is Senate Bill 1278, which provides communities in California’s Central Valley and Delta region with the information they need to prevent new developments from being built in flood prone areas — an issue left unresolved by a landmark package of state laws enacted in 2007 to strengthen flood protection in the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region.

SB 1278 ensures that cities and counties in the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region have the information they need to make informed and responsible land-use decisions,” said Wolk, who spearheaded the creation of the 2007 package while serving in the Assembly.

The 2007 Flood Protection Package required the creation of a state flood protection plan by January of this year, and required cities and counties to ensure that, after 2015, all development in areas with 10,000 residents or more have at least a 200-year level of flood protection.

However, the state flood protection plan does not include flood maps to determine flood protection levels.

“SB 1278 provides cities and counties with flood maps for areas protected by state-owned levees by July 2, 2013, helping to ensure that the flood protection objectives of the 2007 flood legislation are achieved and people and property are kept out of harm’s way,” Wolk said.

Gov. Brown also signed SB 200, which continues a program that helps local agencies maintain and strengthen levees that protect lives, farmland, habitat, and drinking water in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

The new law extends the state’s authorization to reimburse local agencies for up to 75 percent of levee maintenance and improvement costs until July 1, 2018.

Without SB 200, the state’s reimbursements would drop to 50 percent after July 1, 2013, according to Wolk’s office.

“Due to the dire financial conditions of most local Delta levee agencies the existing cost-sharing formula is necessary to continue protecting the Delta’s levees, the communities living, farming and working behind them, as well as the heart of the state’s water system,” said Wolk, who has twice before authored legislation to extend the 75 percent cost-sharing formula.

SB 1495, the third bill in the package signed by the Governor, removes an excessive layer of review to prevent unnecessary delays to time-sensitive operations at the Port of Stockton and Port of West Sacramento, which are important sources of jobs for a region struggling with high unemployment.

The bill exempts lease approvals and maintenance dredging associated with the Ports from review by the Delta Stewardship Council. These actions would still be subject to all planning laws.

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