The settlers and developers of the Sacramento Valley took over 100 years to set up a flood control system that performs exceedingly well even under today’s flood pressures. The development of the flood system did not happen with out many trials and errors that resulted in the loss of life and property.

    Yet, today our environmental programs and policies are ignoring the hard work and efforts of our forefathers by placing and encouraging the growth of habitat in our flood ways in hopes of restoring the system to the way it was…a river that overflowed its banks and left the valley under water for months. Our predecessors designed the floodways to be maintained free and clear of debris and vegetation. In addition, they knew the importance of dredging. This was all done to provide drainage and protection from flood waters, the settlement and ultimate cultivation of fertile lands with in the Sacramento Valley. An excerpt from a 1912, Letter of Transmittal, on the Knights Landing Ridge Cut written by Haviland and Tibbetts, Civil Engineers, clearly reiterates the importance of maintaining such waterways even back then.

Haviland and Tibbetts, Civil Engineers, projected that the Sacramento River could only carry 20% of "a great flood". When speaking in reference to the Butte Slough the engineers maintained that "This channel…is of sufficient width to properly convey the remaining 80% of the flood water (from below Colusa to the Sutter Basin), providing it were kept clear" (Page 35).

    Today, programs such as the Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum and the Sacramento San Joaquin River Comprehensive Study promote implementing environmental policies over safety. Instead of ignoring the lessons learned, we should look back and understand what and why levies, bypasses and dams were developed and how they work.