Monday December 18, 2023
CapRadio —
About seven miles from the Sacramento International Airport, crews are putting the finishing touches on a project meant to provide massive flood relief to a wide swath of the Sacramento region during intense storms.
As soon as this winter, the Lower Elkhorn Basin project area will become a larger overflow area for the Sacramento River when it rises. Crews pushed seven miles of levee back around 1,500 feet, expanding the capacity of the existing Sacramento and Yolo bypass areas.
When another nearby project to widen the Sacramento Weir is complete, the two infrastructure updates could lower the Sacramento River’s water level by up to two feet during flood events.
Climate change is driving more extreme weather events like atmospheric rivers. These intense storms bring precipitation and potential flooding to the Sacramento region. After last winter’s intense storms and ahead of an unpredictable El Niño year, state and local leaders are hoping new flood control strategies will help them better prepare.