In this story from today’s Chico Enterprise Record, it seems the real problem with flood control is, elderberries??
Here is an excerpt.
DWR outlines local flood control work
By ROGER H. AYLWORTH - Staff WriterChico Enterprise-Record
OROVILLE -- When it comes to flood control in the Central Valley, the biggest challenge isn't water, levees, or urban runoff.
The real difficulty is elderberries.
Tuesday, Keith Swanson, chief of flood maintenance for the Department of Water Resources, told the Butte County Board of Supervisors that elderberry bushes and the "long-horn beetles" they host are a massive challenge.
He said while there is not a lot of "science" behind the regulations protecting the plants, he still has to live with the rules. That means clearing flood channels where the elderberries are found, which can be difficult.
Swanson told the board the DWR will have money this year to do flood control maintenance.
Various regulations and financial conditions combined so DWR "lost control of a lot of creeks in the 1990s," but now it is "starting to get some success."
He appeared before the board to provide a broad outline of what DWR hopes to be doing in the county.
He said there will be efforts to deal with flood control issues in Butte Creek, Little Chico Creek, Mud Creek, Cherokee Canal and Sycamore Creek.
