From mavensnotebook.com –Flood management projects are often large-scale, lengthy, and expensive. In the past, federal funds have paid for a large part of the costs; however, times have changed.  While the need for increased flood protection is widely acknowledged, there is a large and growing gap between flood infrastructure needs and rates of investment, and the state is not well-positioned to cover the funding shortfall.  Additionally, the 2003 Paterno v. State of California decision held the state liable for damages caused by failure of a locally maintained levee, exposing taxpayers to billions of dollars in potential costs. The 2017 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan’s Investment Strategy looked at the different options for finding the necessary funding, one of which was to investigate the feasibility of retooling the Sacramento-San Joaquin Drainage District (SSJDD) to provide a small continuous funding stream for ongoing expenditures of the flood management system.  At the April meeting of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, consultants discussed the upcoming feasibility study. (more)