In this story from today’s Bee the old levee maps that have been incorrect in determining true levee strength for years, are being updated, which will probably lead to a halt in development in Natomas.
The updating could also lead to a strengthening of the growing movement towards real flood protection offered by dams as the first response to flood protection, with levees playing their proper role of secondary back-up.
Here is an excerpt.
Tempting fate: Levee review may halt building
If FEMA rejects river bulwarks, it could stymie developers.
By Carrie Peyton Dahlberg -- Bee Staff Writer Published 12:01 am PDT Thursday, May 18, 2006
From Fresno to Chico, communities throughout California are bracing for a harsh new federal assessment that could conclude the levees they rely on for protection aren't up to the job.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is considering wiping many of the earthen bulwarks off its flood insurance maps unless local areas can document their strength. The changes threaten to halt or reshape development in scores of California communities.
While final decisions are years away, some fear local governments could face legal risks much sooner if they continue to put people behind levees whose sturdiness is being questioned.
Hoping to prepare, Sacramento County staffers next week will ask supervisors to put some larger development proposals on hold until the county can craft a detailed policy on what belongs behind levees that could be deemed lacking.
San Joaquin County, in an effort to head off changes that could affect how or where it grows, has hired a contractor to help prove its levees are strong enough.
By contrast, West Sacramento officials see no need to reassess that city's rapid development, predicting flatly that FEMA will face too much resistance to carry out its ambitious plan calling on levee owners or operators to document the structures' soundness.
"It won't ultimately be sustained," said City Manager Toby Ross.
The FEMA effort could kick off years of ambiguity and face local challenges, but existing flood maps are so "terribly inaccurate" that something has to change, said Les Harder, deputy director for public safety at the state Department of Water Resources.
Today, he said, too many people have a false sense of security because federal maps indicate they would stay dry during 100-year storms, the kind with a 1 percent chance of striking any given year.
FEMA acknowledges those maps rely on incomplete or outdated information, and that has triggered what could be a major reassessment of how safe Americans are from flooding.
