7/31/18 The Sacramento region got a big boost in flood protection funding this month, receiving $1.8 billion in federal funds. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers investment provides the final funding needed to complete multiple flood protection projects in the region, including levee work and raising the Folsom Dam. These projects, along with a separate levee project along the Natomas Basin, will provide Sacramento with a 300-year flood protection level.

The majority of the funding will be used to build deeper seepage walls inside the levees and more protection from erosion around the Pocket neighborhood, strengthen the Arcade Creek and the Natomas East Main Drainage Canal, and widen the Sacramento Weir Bypass which diverts high water flows to the Yolo Bypass. The remaining funds will help raise the Folsom Dam by 3.5 feet, increasing flood-control storage space in Folsom Lake by 40,000 acre-feet.

In announcing the funding, Congresswoman Doris Matsui noted the significance of the Sacramento region receiving such a substantial portion of the overall funding stating that, “nearly $2 billion will allow us to advance critical projects across the region, increasing our overall resiliency against flooding and making our residents more safe. This is a huge milestone for our region.”  

The Army Corps allocated all of the funding up front, which will allow work on the projects to begin as soon as next year and take about 5-7 years to complete. Funding for the projects also includes revenue raised by the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency and $170 million from the recently passed state budget.