From USACE, Sacramento District – Before leadership in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gives the go-ahead on any of the Sacramento District’s multimillion-dollar projects, they ensure that the district has taken proper steps to minimize the environmental impact of operations.

“Environmental mitigation is a requirement of both federal and California law,” said Dave Fluetsch, senior environmental manager for the USACE Sacramento District. “California is home to more than 250 endangered or threatened species, so these must often be relocated before construction starts.” Case in point—the Tenmile Slough Levee in Stockton, California (USACE calls it TS-30L). The district is preparing to begin improvements to this levee later in 2024 starting with vegetation removal as part of the Lower San Joaquin River Project. Blue elderberry is the sole habitat for the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle, a federal threatened species. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs federal agencies to take all available means to avoid harm to threatened species if they are in or near construction areas. Since blue elderberry shrubs can be found dotted along TS30L, USACE is subject to this requirement on the Lower San Joaquin River Project. (more)