From mavensnotebook.com – The flood management segment of the Dos Rios Ranch Project presentation by Julie Rentner of River Partners at the recent Yosemite Take Me to the River Law Conference Briefing/Panel Discussion.
Dos Rios Ranch is located at the confluence of the San Joaquin River and its largest tributary, the Tuolumne River. The Dos Rios Ranch and the neighboring Hidden Valley Ranch comprise about 2000 acres of land acquired for multi-benefit flood protection and ecosystem restoration activities. These were formerly irrigated agricultural lands located in the primary floodplain of the two rivers. Besides providing habitat, floodplains also serve a critical public safety function. The Dos Rios Ranch project comprises thousands of acres of floodplains that have been reconnected to overbank flooding by modifying levees and berms and creating an opportunity to allow the floodplain to act as a sponge during times of flooding. “If we can slow the conveyance of floodwaters out of the San Joaquin River system in this area, we can make significant flood management improvements for Lathrop, Manteca, and Stockton, where a few million people are living in harm’s way,” Ms. Rentner said. “And as our climate continues to change, the flood hydrology is expected to become even more intense, putting more folks downstream of this property at risk.” (more)