As important as it was to get around the district and conduct our Town Halls and listening sessions this month, it was just as critical to call on our flood control partners in the Sacramento Valley and make sure we remain on task with our safety enhancements.
Why? Well, prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the Sacramento Region was judged one of the most flood-prone and vulnerable areas in the country. New Orleans was believed to have a 250-year level of flood control at the time. We are at work here in the district to bring our standard up from 100-year to a 200-year flood-level of protection. You could say we are playing catch-up, but it is a systematic plan that addresses a wide range of threats.
When you think about all of the rivers and the runoff that careens downhill from the Foothills – and add that to the rivers and runoff that feed the Sacramento River – it’s easy to visualize a problem where the Sacramento and American Rivers converge and at many points to the South.
As catastrophic as Katrina was in the New Orleans area, the loss of life and property in our area could be even greater under just the wrong circumstances. It is estimated there are at least 1 million people at risk in Sacramento County. I made shoring up our flood control efforts not just a priority, but a program.
We got to work on modifications to Folsom Dam. I remain committed to the best and most efficient safeguards. Several times a year I meet with our local, state and federal partners to make sure we are doing everything necessary to improve our protections.
Earlier this month I toured the site of what’s called the Joint Federal Project, which is a collaboration of the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Folsom Dam. This $1.5 billion undertaking will create a new spillway that can release water above and beyond the present dam’s capabilities. There are other improvements that include work on dikes in the area and security measures.
It is slow, arduous work there at Folsom, but it is profound. It essentially doubles our flood protection since I took office.
Last week I was briefed by representatives of the Sacramento Regional Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) and the American River Flood Control District (ARFCD). Both agencies have been at work making improvements on levees in Sacramento County, particularly in the Natomas area and along 40 miles of the American River shoreline.
Among the levee improvements and modifications are slurry cut-off walls, which, via excavation, bisect the levees and then replace the dirt with reinforcement materials that prevent seepage up to 80 feet below ground.
Late last week members of my staff were present for a “planned” levee breach on the Cosumnes River in Sacramento County southwest of Galt between Interstate 5 and Highway 99. The breach will turn a 500-acre tract into wetland – thus mitigating some road construction projects. The new wetland will also have flood control function – serving like a bypass during high water times.
Though there is no rest when it comes to flood control, I am happy to assure you that we are making great strides toward a safer Sacramento Valley.
Sincerely,
Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress
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