On March 16, as part of its EDGEucational Forum series, EDGE hosted a lunchtime discussion at Scott’s on the River that focused on local flooding issues. Distinguished experts Stein Buer, Executive Director of SAFCA, and Jay Punia, Executive Officer of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, lead the conversation among approximately 30 EDGE members. Like the last EDGEucational Forum, this event was sold out. Located mere steps from the river’s edge, we enjoyed a good lunch and an even better dialogue about the current state of Sacramento’s levees, the process and cost of levee repairs, the truth behind the term “200-year flood protection” and a myriad of other related issues. Other discussion highlights included:
– The changes to regulations over the Sacramento levees. – Clarity on which authoritative bodies set the standards for flood protection. – The (immense) cost to repair the levees and the particular location of weak spots. – The fact that it costs around $13,000,000 to repair 4,000 ft of levee. – How likely Sacramento is to become the next Katrina, and what local agencies are doing to prevent it. – How climate change effects flood risk and what’s being done to address it. – Funding for levee repair is generally allocated 65% Federal, 24% State and 11% Other. – The science behind levee repairs and the way that different construction techniques are implemented to accommodate the river’s changing environment.
A special thanks to Barbara Gualco, of Gualco Communications, for coordinating the attendance of two excellent speakers, Stein and Jay.
Looking forward, make sure to save room on your calendar for the next EDGEucational Forum event in June, which will focus on renewable energy. As always, keep checking the Metro EDGE calendar.
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