Thursday June 1, 2023
ENR California —
California water officials are urging a $3.2-billion investment in flood prevention projects over the next half decade to safeguard the Central Valley; particularly communities on the San Joaquin River that are considered among the most vulnerable in the nation.
The California Dept. of Water Resources (DWR) and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB) called for the combined investment from federal, state and local agencies to meet the recommendations of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) 2022 Update. The plan would require an investment of $25 billion to $30 billion over the next 30 years, officials say.
The CVFPP, prepared by the DWR and adopted by the CVFPB, guides California’s management of flood risk in areas protected by the State Plan of Flood Control. The plan is updated every five years, prioritizing flood management investment over a 30-year planning horizon.
The current update of CVFPP includes plans to repair, rehabilitate or improve 361 miles of urban and 120 miles of non-urban levees. It also involves feasibility studies for new projects in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and significant flood prevention investments in the San Joaquin River region.