Thursday September 12, 2024
River Partners —
With a population approaching 2,200, the town of Hamilton City has one four-way traffic light at the corner of its one high school, a railroad crossing on the east side of town, and acres and acres of agriculture, its main industry. It’s a town that people drive through on their way to or from Interstate 5. And the Sacramento River, California’s largest waterway, flows near the town.
This river provides water for agriculture, a rich and complex habitat for river life, and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. However, during seasonal rains and high-water events, it’s prone to flooding Hamilton City—located within a historic floodplain. Its residents have had to evacuate the town six times over the last 30 years.
In 1904, a levee was built to protect the town (and a new sugar factory) from flooding when the Sacramento River swelled. But over the decades, repeated flooding, erosion, and time had all weakened the levee, leaving it unreliable in keeping water out of Hamilton City.
River Partners Field Foreman Chris Carrizales, a lifelong Hamilton City resident, experienced each evacuation—and every time was as upsetting as the last.