California's Waterways:

Our Legacy at Risk

A River in Crisis

Communities Threatened: A Look at the real issues surrounding our flood control system

While the Department of Water Resources is successfully repairing the levees, other parts of the flood control system need equal and ongoing attention. Our forefathers realized it was not practical to build levees high enough, or place them far enough apart to contain the maximum flows, so they designed a system to maintain the maximum carrying capacity of the river using a variety of tools, which included dams, weirs, and bypasses . To maintain the carrying capacity level of this system, it was imperative to keep the system free of obstructions, such as debris and vegetation, so they not only maintained the levees, but dredged and pulled large woody debris from the river. Today, it is incumbent on us to return the system to its original design capacity and then maintain the flood control system, to operate this major waterway to benefit all; including urban and rural communities, and the environment.

In an effort to educate local communities we hope you will understood that flood safety will require all of us working together to return the whole system to its designed flood carrying capacity. It is important to understand that the whole system is interconnected and we must work to maintain all of its components: dams, weirs, bypasses, and levees. It is also important to understand that while most of the ecosystem restoration projects are going on way north of Sacramento, water flows downhill, and a failure in any part of the upper flood control system may eventually affect the communities just north of Sacramento.

Please view FWA's movie, "California's Waterways: Our Legacy at Risk", (link is above) to fully understand our concerns. To receive a VHS copy of the movie, please contact Family Water Alliance at (530) 438-2026.

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