The spillway will increase the erosive force on the Parkway and degrade the levees, but that is preferable to flooding, which is why it is a good stop-gap measure for Sacramento flood protection as we slowly move to embracing the 500 year level of protection enjoyed by all other major river cities, except for New Orleans.
The $1.5 billion it is projected to cost is a fraction of the $10 billion that achieving 500 year protection will, but each step forward is important.
Dam spillway plan passes feds' review
After winning bid is selected, excavation could begin this fall on flood project.
By Matt Weiser - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Friday, May 4, 2007
Sacramento's most important and ambitious flood-control project moved closer to reality Thursday when federal officials signed off on a new plan to improve Folsom Dam.
The so-called "record of decision" was signed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, concluding the project's detailed environmental review. Its primary feature is a new 1,700-foot concrete spillway with six submerged flood-control gates to be built next to the existing dam.
The two agencies have historically fought over major waterworks projects. But when initial construction bids for a previous design came in three times higher than expected in June 2005, they formed a rare partnership to keep the project from washing out.
They believe the new design, with an estimated total cost of $1.3 billion, is much simpler and faster to build. In fact, said Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Jeff McCracken, they expect to build it in half the time and save $1 billion over the earlier project.
