In April of 2006 Gov. Schwarzenegger met with President Bush and outlined the needs for levee repairs and requested a preemptive federal disaster declaration.  Bush turned him down but did allow for the U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers to help with repairs.

 

Levees along the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta were constructed 150 years ago.  Erosion has continually worn away at the levees leaving the stability of them in peril.  Originally constructed to protect farms, the levees now protect not only the farms but communitites along the Delta where thousands of people live and work.  There are more then 1,000 miles of levees along the Delta. 

 

Citizens living along the Delta waterways are  not the only ones in danger if the levees fail.  The State Water Project which delivers water to millions of Californians throughout the State is also dependent on the levees to protect water supply and quality.

 

It is up to all California citizens to protect their most precious natural resource, the California Delta

Waterways.

 

 

California Department of Water Resources www.levees.water.ca.gov states that a 6.5 tremor could seriously damage the levee system. 

 

In November of 2007 Proposition 1E was approved by the voters giving the State $4.09 billion in bonds for levee repairs and flood control projects.  www.bondaccountability.resources.ca.gov/p1E.aspx

     The levee repairs program is addressing deficiencies identified and prioritized in the levee evaluation program.  The program was implemented in response to Governor Schwarzenegger's declaration of a state of emergency for California's levee system on February 24, 2006.

      For more information about the work being done visit the levee repairs website located at www.levees.water.ca.gov/ where you will be able to find exact repair locations, up-to-date construction progress, fact sheets by site and photos of erosion sites.