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

NOAA RESEARCH: National Academies unveils strategy to modernize probable maximum precipitation estimates

From NOAA Research, From Maven’s Notebook

For more than 75 years, high-hazard structures in the United States, including dams and nuclear power plants, have been engineered to withstand floods resulting from the most unlikely but possible precipitation, termed Probable Maximum Precipitation or PMP. More than 16,000 high-hazard dams and 50 nuclear power plants are located in the United States, many of which are approaching or exceeding their design lifetime. Failure of any one of these structures will likely result in loss of life and could impose significant economic losses and widespread environmental damage. While engineers continue to rely on PMP estimates when designing these large, critical facilities, the estimates themselves and the science behind them are based on outdated work. As climate change continues to supercharge storms, including rainfall amounts, that threaten existing infrastructure, there’s an urgent need to modernize PMP estimates and improve the science behind them, according to a new report by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. (more)

High Definition Stream Surveys: Informed Management in Local Waterways

From Environmental Monitor

When it comes to environmental monitoring, new stream survey methodologies have revealed a great deal about water quality and streambed conditions over time. Such information can be particularly important in leading restoration initiatives and prioritizing management decisions. Historically, stream surveys have been conducted at a single point along the stream, with data then extrapolated for miles up and downstream. However, Brett Connell, Hydrologist and Director of Sales at Trutta Environmental Solutions, started developing a more intensive stream survey format in his master’s program in 2010 at the University of Tennessee. Having grown up fishing in Lake Erie and the Maumee River, Connell chose to pursue a career initially in fisheries biology because he loved being outdoors and working in the landscape he was studying. (more)

California Water Plan Update 2023

From the Department of Water Resources

The California Water Plan, updated every five years, is the State’s strategic plan for sustainably and equitably managing and developing water resources for current and future generations. California Water Plan Update 2023 (Update 2023) promotes climate resilience across regions and water sectors with a statewide vision, clear goals, watershed planning framework and toolkit, and progress-tracking dashboard of indicators. It also includes updated resource management strategies, regional planning and performance tracking tools, water balances, future scenarios, and other technical and policy-related activities related to water resilience and sustainability. (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.