Even in the fourth year of its extreme drought, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is encouraging residents to prepare for flood season.
“While we are preparing for a fourth year of extreme drought, we still need to plan for swings between severely dry conditions and large storms and flooding,” says DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Just last year, December brought record-breaking precipitation to some parts of the state and was followed by the driest January, February, and March on record. That was a wake-up call for all Californians that we must prepare for both drought and flood conditions at the same time.”
On Monday, DWR commemorated the start of Flood Preparedness Week, which runs Oct. 22 through Oct. 30, with plans to tour and highlight flood risk reduction projects.
Later this week, DWR will join representatives from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB), the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency (SJAFCA), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to tour the Smith Canal Gate Project and highlight the local-state-federal partnership to reduce flood risk for the Stockton metropolitan region.
The project, for which DWR committed $56 million, will provide 100-year flood protection for more than 8,500 properties in an economically disadvantaged area within the City of Stockton. The project is also a critical part of the Lower San Joaquin River Project, a $1.4 billion effort to improve levees along the Calaveras and San Joaquin Rivers and build resilience to climate change impacts.
In the coming weeks, the CVFPB will adopt the 2022 Update to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, California's strategic blueprint to improve flood risk management in the Central Valley. Updated every five years, the CVFPP has guided over $4.1 billion in state investments and funding commitments.
Last week, DWR hosted a symposium to highlight the need to prepare the state for flooding even during a drought, gathering scientists, water policy experts, and members of communities impacted by drought and floods for a conversation about building climate resiliency, including in the state’s water and flood management systems.
In October, DWR awarded over $50.4 million to communities across the state for flood risk reduction projects. DWR Director Nemeth recently joined state and federal elected officials and local flood management officials to celebrate funding agreements for the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, a $397 million project that will increase flood protection and provide ecosystem enhancements, groundwater recharge, economic benefits, and recreation opportunities.
