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Fall 1998 - Vol. 6 No. 1 |
Since the mid-1800’s, the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers have been developed and managed to provide for the basic needs of flood protection, water supply, transportation, and other water-related activities that have contributed to the economic growth of California and the nation. However, over the years, society’s needs have changed and lessons have been learned regarding more effective approaches to long-term flood management and ecosystem preservation.
In response to the January 1997 floods and the recurring flood threat in the Central Valley, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and The California Reclamation Board are collaborating to lead a basin-wide assessment to examine strategies to improve flood management and restore riparian habitat throughout the Central Valley. As recommended by the Governor’s Flood Emergency Action Team (FEAT) final report and the 1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, a four-year study is being conducted by a multiagency and interdisciplinary study team and will include an interim report to Congress in April 1999 and a final report at the end of the study.
The study will encompass both the Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins which combine to form a watershed of over 41,000 square miles. The basins include the major urban areas of Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, Merced, Redding, Yuba City, and Marysville. The study will focus on the problems associated with the floodplains along the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and their major tributaries.
To adequately evaluate various measures and plans, comprehensive hydrologic and hydraulic modeling of the two river systems is being conducted and will incorporate historic rainfall runoff, reservoir operations, unsteady flow analysis along the major river and bypass systems, and ultimately sediment transport. An extensive GIS resource data base is also being developed to assist in the modeling of ecosystem function and response and to help formulate various measures and plans. To identify problem areas and to prioritize implementation, system deficiencies and locations of past failures are being documented, and projections are being made of potential future flood damages and populations at risk if no action is taken.
Given that the Central Valley includes a number of complex and unique hydrologic and ecologic systems, the study team is working within the existing public forums and scoping efforts established through CALFED, Central Valley Project Improvement Act programs, and the statešs Upper Sacramento River Fisheries and Riparian Habitat Management Plan and the San Joaquin River Management Program.
The study will also integrate the recommendations of the governoršs Floodplain Management Task Force.
To find out more information about the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers comprehensive study, the study team can be reached at (916) 557-5140 or at their web site at www.usace.mil.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers Basin Planning
The study team is working to identify problems and opportunities, set planning objectives and priorities, and develop potential measures to address flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration. The goal of the study is to examine a full range of structural and nonstructural measures and strategies to ultimately lead to a watershed framework or master plan for a more comprehensive approach to floodplain management. To meet the changing needs in the valley, the study team is examining ways to adapt the flood management system to take into account the many interrelated benefits offered by the river system.
