Family Water Alliance

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Sacramento River Conservation Area

The Sacramento River Conservation Area (SRCA) is a proposal by several state and federal government agencies, and conservation organizations to create a continuous riparian belt along 222 miles of the Sacramento River, from Redding in Shasta County to Verona in Sutter County.  The goal is to restore riparian habitat for the benefit of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.  The total conservation area embraces 213,000 acres.  Early on, Family Water Alliance identified many potential adverse impacts this project could have on local governments, communities along the river, and on adjacent private property owners, mostly farmers.

Our primary concern is that the creation of riparian jungle-like growth in floodways of the Sacramento River would so impede peak flood flows in high water years that lives and properties of those who live along the river would be imperiled.  The SRCA plan calls for the restoration of "natural processes" such as unrestrained river meander and undercutting of trees along the banks - all for habitat enhancement.  It would, for the most part, eliminate bank protection such as rip-rapping or rock lining.

The "natural processes" by their very nature would increase siltation and snags in the river - already a severe boating hazard- and further reduce the capacity of the river to carry peak flows during wet years.  Siltation and large woody debris already are causing multi-million dollar losses to water diverters through damage to their pumps and fish screens.  The "natural processes" would accelerate this damage.  The creation of extensive habitat favorable to endangered species could be a nightmare for adjoining property owners.  Farmers could be prosecuted in state and federal courts if they inadvertently injure or kill an endangered species that migrates to their property.

The loss of tax revenue to cities, counties and special districts, by removal of thousands of acres of land from the tax rolls, would be critical to the seven agrarian counties that would be impacted.  In addition, the value of crop production from some of the best land would be erased, in perpetuity.  Another insidious aspect of the SRCA program is its advocacy of setback levees to allow the river to return to its old meander belt.  This would remove more prime agricultural land from tax rolls, further erode the economy, and create a nightmare for those whose homes and farm buildings would be destroyed.

All of these impacts, and others, would be imposed on the livelihoods and lifestyles of thousands of people, in spite of California's Right to Farm Policy, and the high sensitivity of marginal economies in rural communities.  The Family Water Alliance is vigorously involved in efforts to drastically reduce the size of the conservation area from 213,000 acres to the original 30,000 acres intended by SB 1086.  We have been instrumental in getting the Board of Supervisors in Sutter, Colusa, Glenn and Butte Counties to support this proposed reduction.

We are also working to obtain a Good Neighbor Policy intended to protect landowners from adverse impacts, or provide prompt compensation if SRCA activities cause them losses.  And we are seeking to have any restored habitat area designated as a self-mitigating area so that adjoining landowners will not be prosecuted if they inadvertently injure or kill a threatened or endangered species.  We insist that this protection be provided without the landowner having to participate in an agreement with the agencies to provide mitigating habitat in return for incidental take permits.

Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins Comprehensive Study

This program, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and California's Department of Water Resources, embraces many of the same concepts advocated by the SRCA, which threaten lives, property and traditional agrarian economies.  The Comp Study gives equal importance to flood control and eco-system restoration, twin goals which we believe are highly incompatible.  This program also advocates setback levees and the restoration of riparian jungle in the floodways.  But it goes even further.  The Comp Study proposes the deliberate flooding of wide areas of farm land during peak water years, the encirclement of riverside communities with "ring" levees -the purpose of which we believe is to facilitate deliberate flooding- and the creation of "sacrifice zones", that would apply different values to the lives and property of people, depending on where they live.

With regard to the latter, the Comp Study would provide 200-year flood protection to urban areas, 100-year protection to small communities, and 50-year protection to farm land.  We are adamant that the lives and property of each of our citizens is of equal value and that protection must be equal.  any other categorization is out of the question.  This, then, is a thumbnail summary of some of the things FWA is trying to accomplish.  If you feel as we do, we welcome your support.