California Construction News staff writer
A major levee improvement project designed to reduce flood risk for more than 122,000 people in Stockton, has reached a key milestone with the completion of a critically deficient section along Tenmile Slough.
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency to mark completion of the levee segment, which is part of the $1.95-billion Lower San Joaquin River Project.
Once the larger project is complete, it will provide improved flood protection for 122,000 residents and $28.7 billion in property in North and Central Stockton along the San Joaquin River.
The Tenmile Slough levee was previously rated as the most critically deficient segment in California’s Central Valley levee system.
Following historic flooding in 1997, DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board identified significant flood risks in the San Joaquin River Basin. Federal, state and local partners subsequently worked together to assess the risks and develop the necessary improvements.
The work comes as California prepares for a potentially wetter-than-average winter associated with El Niño conditions.
“Over the past decade, significant investments across the Central Valley Flood System have driven down flood risk for our communities. This newest completed levee segment demonstrates how those investments are paying off,” said Laura Hollender, DWR deputy director of flood management and dam safety.
“With El Niño anticipated to impact California this winter, the State is making sure our flood system is ready before the first storm arrives.”
The Lower San Joaquin River Project is funded by DWR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency.
It is part of a broader flood-risk reduction strategy outlined in the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, which provides a framework for improving flood protection in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river basins.
Other flood protection work completed in Stockton includes the Smith Canal Gate Structure, a $94-million project that protects 24,000 homes in central Stockton. The project was delivered through DWR’s Early Implementation Program and Urban Flood Risk Reduction Program.
The Tenmile Slough work marks another milestone in efforts to strengthen flood protection for urban communities in California’s Central Valley.
