Central Valley Flood Protection Board

The Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Board) establishes, maintains, and enforces standards for the construction, maintenance, and operation of the flood control system to protect life, property, and habitat in California’s Central Valley. The Board coordinates State entities, local flood risk control agencies and the federal government to minimize damages from floods in California’s Central Valley and is the non-federal sponsor for federal flood control projects in the State Plan of Flood Control. The Board serves as a public forum for flood risk reduction policy in the Central Valley and is responsible for adopting updates to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan every five years.

 

PUBLIC HOURS AND MEETING SCHEDULE

In accordance with the Governor’s order, the Board will continue to host hybrid meetings and workshops. Locations and access information for future meetings will be posted on our homepage and updated as needed.

For public drop off of physical documents, including applications and fees, we can be contacted by phone or email as noted below to schedule a drop off.

  • With our new hybrid teleworking environment, most staff are only at our office location on Tuesdays each week. Administrative staff are available at the front desk Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm. Appointments are required to meet with staff or receive in-person assistance at the front desk.  If you are currently working with a staff member on an item, please continue to contact that staff member.  If you need general information, please contact the general mailbox at Questions@CVFlood.ca.gov.

  • We will be prioritizing permits based upon health and safety factors, including the availability of staff and partners, and application processing times may be extended during this period.  Please bear with us as we work through this new system.

  • Past recordings of Board meetings and workshops can be found on the CVFPB YouTube Channel

Jane Dolan
Board President

 

NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS

Virtual PPIC Panel Gauges Groundwater Recharge Success

From the Association of California Water Agencies

With overdraft causing big problems in the San Joaquin Valley, and groundwater recharge among the most promising ways to protect against hotter, longer dry periods, is California socking away enough water during wet periods? Answering that question was the subject of a June 11 virtual panel discussion hosted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) and now available for viewing online… The discussion followed up on PPIC surveys in 2017 and 2023 of dozens of urban and agriculture water managers who were asked how recharge efforts were going, how much progress they’ve made and what they thought was needed next. (more)

Lake Oroville Update – June 21, 2024

From the Department of Water Resources

With warm temperatures here to stay in Northern California, runoff into Lake Oroville from snowmelt has significantly dwindled with outflows currently exceeding inflows. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) continues to meet water delivery and environmental requirements while optimizing water storage to allow for carryover storage into next year. Releases from Oroville Dam’s main spillway ceased in May with water being routed through the Hyatt Powerplant for power generation. When the main spillway is not in use, water may still be seen on the main spillway outlet as the seals on the eight radial gates are not designed to be watertight. The gate seals do not play a role in the structural integrity of the gates, which continue to operate as intended. Visitors to Oroville Dam may also notice minor amounts of water flowing from drains built into the emergency spillway. This is normal and expected given the emergency spillway design. The dam and emergency spillway continue to operate as intended. (more)

Increasing Resiliency and Capacity Through the Use of Levee Setbacks: Lower Elkhorn Basin

From Engineering With Nature: by US Army

Engineer Research and Development Center

– The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback (LEBLS) Project is a multibenefit project that provides broad flood risk reduction and ecosystem benefits for a large region within California’s Central Valley. For this project, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has constructed an approximately 11,500-meter setback levee to expand the Sacramento and Yolo bypasses by about 450 meters. Construction started in August 2020, and the existing levees were breached in summer 2023 for use of the expanded bypass in winter. The expansion of the bypasses significantly reduces the risk of flooding for the Sacramento area; when coupled with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Sacramento Weir Widening Project, the water surface elevation in the Sacramento River will be reduced by nearly 30 centimeters during high-water events. The expanded bypass footprint area will be used for agriculture and habitat, compatible with seasonal flooding. LEBLS is the first state-led project to be implemented from the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP), which was developed to better manage the risk of flooding in California’s Central Valley, specifically in areas classified as protected by the State Plan of Flood Control. LEBLS has been recognized as a well-performing project at state and local levels. (more)

More News & Highlights...

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New Board Member

Governor Newson Appoints New Central Valley Flood Protection Board Member, Betty Andrews

Governor Newsom appointed Elizabeth (Betty) Andrews, of Santa Rosa, to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board in June 2024. Betty has had more than thirty years’ experience in hydrology, hydraulics, flood management, floodplain and wetland restoration, and water resources management. She is a licensed engineer in the State of California and has operated a sole proprietorship since 2021. She held multiple roles at Environmental Science Associates (ESA) from 2010 to 2021, including Vice President/Principal Engineer and Project Director. Prior to ESA, Betty held multiple roles at Philip Williams and Associates, Ltd. from 1990 to 2010, including Principal, Project Manager, Staff Engineer and Chair of the Board of Directors. She was a Graduate Student Intern at the California Department of Water Resources from 1988 to 1989. Betty was Conservation Director of Friends of the River from 1981 to 1987. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Salmonid Restoration Federation and the Floodplain Management Association. Betty earned a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelor of Science degree in Technology and Human Affairs from Washington University in St. Louis.