Last fall we crossed our fingers that the predicted El Niño weather pattern would drench us just enough to alleviate California’s critical drought conditions, but not so much that the flood control system would be overwhelmed (even though, as I explained here, past El Niño patterns have not been associated with big flooding events). The … Continue Reading
If you have been reading major California newspapers over the past few weeks, you have seen a number of stories about a “monster” El Niño event headed our way this winter. Most of those articles address whether such an event would end California’s four-year drought. A small handful of them address what I consider a more interesting question: … Continue Reading
Since 2008 the Natomas area in the City of Sacramento has been under an effective moratorium on new development due to insufficient flood protection. The area is preparing to re-start development once the City receives a letter from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that lifts a flood hazard designation that was severely limiting the … Continue Reading
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued what can only be described as the mother of all Requests for Proposal (RFP). Under section 7001 of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 the USACE is to seek proposals for feasibility studies for, or modifications to existing Federal water resources development projects. USACE … Continue Reading
