Inspections by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District rated a rural Yuba County levee system as unacceptable and gave a minimally acceptable rating to the urban levee system near Linda and Olivehurst.
The Sacramento District conducted a periodic inspection of the two levee systems Dec. 14, 2010 – Jan. 7, 2011. Initial findings were provided Nov. 18, 2011 for review to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and reclamation districts 784 and 817, which are responsible for maintaining the levee systems. Final reports were presented to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board March 22, 2013.
The most serious deficiencies throughout both systems were encroachments, erosion, bank caving and rodent control. Unacceptable vegetation was noted during the inspections, but in neither system did vegetation result in an overall unacceptable rating.
“ Levee inspections are all about making sure that a levee can reliably do what we expect it to, ” said Meegan Nagy, Sacramento District levee safety program manager . “ Our findings help the agencies that own and maintain these levees prioritize levee fixes – and help the public understand their flood risk and make informed decisions about their safety.”
Inspection findings also determine levee systems’ continued eligibility for the Corps’ rehabilitation and inspection program, the Corps’ authority to provide federal assistance for flood fighting and repairing levees damaged by floods or storms. Systems rated unacceptable were found not to meet Corps levee safety criteria and are ineligible for federal aid in repairing flood or storm damage to levees until their deficiencies are corrected.
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Press Release, April 18, 2013