Schwarzenegger Declares State of Emergency for Valley Levees

[Kadie]

Schwarzenegger Declares State of Emergency for Valley Levees

Two days after an aerial tour that found "conditions of extreme peril," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Friday declared a state of emergency for California's levee system.

Citing the possibility of major earthquakes or severe weather conditions during future flood seasons that would likely overwhelm the State's levee system, Schwarzenegger made the proclamation to help secure millions in federal funds to shore up the 1,100-mile system of levees protecting the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

"Of over 100 erosion sites in the levee system, 24 are criticial in a major next flow event," California Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow said. "We need to move quickly and repair all these sites before the next season."

In 2004, Congress authorized, but did not appropriate $90 million to address the deterioration of Delta levees. Schwarzenegger and other California legislators have since urged the federal government to make the funds available before it is too late.

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http://www.news10.net/storyfull.asp?id=16135

[sam sarrha]

1. all it would take is an early warm rain on a good snow pack.. not that it

could happen with this odd weather we are in

[tularetom]

2. Except in urbanized areas. levees are not the answer

Anything that contains the flow will ultimately cause scouring and increased silt loading of the flow. It is much better to provide designated overflow areas and this is being done in many Norcal areas outside of developed and highly populated cities. Levees require a shitload of maintenance for erosion, damage from burrowing critters etc. which many rural locales are unable to afford. In addition to providing flood control benefits it allows for recreational opportunities for hiking hunting, bird watching, fishing etc. Read up on the stories of the 1927 Mississippi River floods to see the dangers of reliance on levees as a flood control tool. The problem is now that riparian lands have become costly and first costs of acquiring land for overflows is often greater than for levees. Over time howerver the overflows are definitely cheaper.