Mr. Michael Mierzwa, P.E., from the California Department of Water Resources Division of Flood Management’s FloodSAFE Program Management Office presented at the September 19 dinner meeting. Mr. Mierzwa described the relationship between Integrated Water Management, the FloodSAFE Program and the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. How the State’s current Central Valley Flood Control System developed was explained through a history of flood events and responses that have funded major flood control system improvements over the past 150 years. While historic flood control projects had focused largely on increased conveyance and flood control capacity behind dams, flood management is now considered along with ecosystem and water supply management to best achieve the various goals using a State system-wide investment approach (SSIA). Mr. Mierzwa explained how flood management includes:
- Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from flood events;
- Routine system monitoring and maintenance;
- Risk management through notifications and regulations;
- Risk reduction projects such as setback levees; and
- Risk assessment through levee conditions evaluations and flood modeling.
The 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPPP) would reduce the current huge risk to population, structures and the economy, especially agriculture, and provide for sensitive species that rely on the floodplains. The CVFPPP calls for $14 to $17 billion to implement a SSIA. Features of the SSIA include levee improvements and repair, setback levees and forecast-based system operations, improved bypasses, implementation of environmental conservation strategies as well as improvements to the other elements of flood management.
Please contact Harvey Oslick at hoslick@rbf.com if you would like a copy of the presentation.
Questions about the presentation may be directed to Mr. Mierzwa at mmierzwa@water.ca.gov.
