California's levee system is a disaster waiting to happen: Schwarzenegger The request was made in a letter sent yesterday, which is reproduced verbatim below: February 28, 2006 Dear Mr. Chairman, On Friday, February 24, 2006, I issued a State of Emergency in California to shore up the state's levee system. The recent storms in Northern California are the latest signal that action is needed now to address the chronic deficiencies of the flood control system in our state. California is ready and willing to contribute its full cost-share for the highest priority projects to reinforce its aging levee system. I urge you to help us by providing funding in the FY07 Energy & Water Development Appropriations Act to meet federal commitments to our state. While California has avoided a Hurricane Katrina-type disaster, its levees and flood control systems must be strengthened in order to adequately protect lives, property, and the state's vibrant economy. Past Energy & Water Development appropriations acts have provided significant levels of funding to flood control facilities throughout the state, but more is needed. California's flood control system faces two immediate threats: * The first is to the City of Sacramento. With 100-year flood protection or less in some areas, Sacramento has the lowest flood protection of any major river city in the United States. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had 250-year protection. Several high priority projects in the region, identified below, require federal participation to raise flood protection up to a 200-year level. * The second threat is to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta levee system. This network of fragile earthen levees protects communities, valuable agricultural land, key transportation and utility corridors and our State's fresh water supply. If major levee failures were to occur, homes, farms, roads, railways, energy pipelines and power lines would be flooded. Additionally, water supplies would be contaminated by salt water and other pollutants. Such an event would jeopardize the water supply of more than 22 million Californians as well as the irrigation of more than three million acres of the most productive agricultural land in the nation. Following the levee failure in the Jones Tract in 2004, a failure not caused by either a flood event or seismic activity, the State of California spent over $100 million to repair damage to the levee and impacted land. A recent study by the University of California concluded that there is a 66 percent chance that either a major earthquake or flood would lead to catastrophic levee failure in the Delta region in the next 50 years. The costs of even a significant failure in the system could reach into the tens of billions and much higher with an incremental increase in the severity of the event. I urge you to provide funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the following projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region: 1. $9.7 million, South Sacramento County Streams; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $3.7 million, has already been appropriated. 2. $7.3 million, Sacramento River Bank Protection; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $2.4 million, has already been appropriated. 3. $17.4 million, American River Common Features; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $6.6 million, is fully funded in my proposed FY 2006-07 budget. 4. $29.4 million, American River Folsom Modifications and Folsom Dam Raise; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $11.1 million, is fully funded in my proposed FY 2006-07 budget. 5. $6.0 million, for levee projects identified in the CalFed 180-Day Study California cost-share; the State match of $6.0 million for this study is partially funded in my proposed FY 2006-07 budget. The remaining cost-share would be funded through my proposed Flood Protection and Clean, Safe, Reliable Water Supply Bond and Financing Act of 2006. 6. $2.0 million, Delta Island and Levees Feasibility Study to conduct the Delta Risk Management Strategy; the State match of $2.0 million for this study is fully funded in my proposed FY 2006-07 budget. 7. $8.0 million, Levee System Evaluation and FEMA certification process; the estimated State cost-share for this amount would be fully funded from my proposed bond. 8. $4.5 million, Natomas Reimbursement to the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. 9. $4.7 million, Mid-Valley Levee Reconstruction; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $1.1 million, has already been appropriated. 10. $1.5 million, Yuba River Basin; the State cost-share for this amount for this project, $0.6 million, has already been appropriated. 11. $300,000 for Lower Cache Creek; the State cost-share for this amount would be fully funded from my proposed bond. 12. $1.6 million, Middle Creek; the State cost-share for this amount would be fully funded from my proposed bond. I look forward to working with you as you also work with California's delegation and your other colleagues to address this critical public safety matter. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the ability to do this work at an accelerated pace if only they are given the fiscal tools they need to accomplish their work. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger cc:
•Date: 1st March 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning |
