Flood Control

Sacramento is one of the most flood-prone urban cities in the county. Our aging levees and other water infrastructure - most of it originally designed to protect farm land - can no longer adequately protect our growing city. A serious flooding event in the Sacramento area could cost upwards of $30 billion in total economic loss and wreak havoc on the lives of nearly half a million people.

Despite the millions of dollars already spent to fortify our levees, Sacramento remains perilously close to a major flood event. Just this year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers calculated that Natomas' levees no longer are strong enough to hold back even a 100-year storm because of discoveries of under seepage problems. Consequently, FEMA will soon be placing the Natomas region in a flood hazard zone. Because this new designation requires that all new development in Natomas be elevated above potential flood levels, a de facto building moratorium will soon be imposed on the area. This designation threatens to stymie our city's economic recovery and will delay needed civic improvements, including new schools, police substations, and office buildings.

It is unacceptable that we have allowed thousands of people to live in risk of serious harm and loss of life for so long. We need new leadership and a new commitment to provide for a responsible level of flood protection for our city as soon as possible. Public safety should be our city's #1 priority, and we need to do better.

As Mayor, Kevin Johnson will:

• Provide energetic and effective leadership to raise the city's level of flood protection as soon as possible;
• Work with state legislators and the Governor to direct Proposition 1E flood control bond funds towards Sacramento priority projects;
• Advocate to the new Administration in Washington, D.C. that Sacramento-area flood control improvements must be a top priority for involved federal agencies, that bureaucratic red tape must be cut, and that approval of our permit applications and work plans must be expedited;
• Lead the effort with local and state agencies, including the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, to ensure that timelines are being followed and that the needed funding is being allocated;
• Continue to encourage the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency to tightly schedule flood control improvement projects and create incentives for contractors to complete the improvements ahead of schedule and within the budget;
• Develop and implement a citywide disaster preparedness communications strategy;
• Position the City of Sacramento as a leader in national flood management and facilitate better partnership with state and federal agencies to manage our flood risk.