BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
SB 144 (Pan) - Water development projects: Sacramento-San
Joaquin watersheds
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|Version: April 6, 2015 |Policy Vote: N.R. & W. 9 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: April 13, 2015 |Consultant: Marie Liu |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: SB 144 would update the state's authorization for
funding local flood control projects in the Natomas Basin.
Fiscal
Impact: Approximately $40 to $60 million in General Fund for
additional state obligations in flood control project costs.
Background: Under the State Water Resources Law of 1945, the state may
participate in funding local flood control projects that are
authorized by the Legislature, authorized by Congress, and meet
other specific requirements. Among the local flood control
projects that have been authorized by the Legislature are levees
in the Natomas Basin that are defined as "the project for flood
control along the American and Sacramento Rivers?within the
Natomas Basin as described in the final engineer's report date
April 19, 2007, adopted by the Sacramento Area Flood Control
Agency."
SB 144 (Pan) Page 1 of
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Since the 2007 final engineer report, the project has been
further refined to meet higher levee building standards required
by the Army Corps of Engineers. These changes are reflected in
the 2010 final feasibility study for the American River
Watershed, Common Features Project, Natomas Basin. This final
feasibility study would need to be referenced in the state's
funding authorization for the project in order for the
authorization to continue to be applicable.
Proposed Law:
This bill would include the 2010 final feasibility study in
the state's funding authorization of local levees in the Natomas
Basin to reflect the project's current design.
Related
Legislation: AB 1147 (Honda) Chapter 1071, Statutes of 2000
provided the original authorization.
Staff
Comments: The Department of Water Resources estimates that the
state's cost share of the updated project will likely increase
$40-60 million. However, staff notes that because the project
changes were in response to more stringent levee requirements,
doing the project as originally authorized is not an option.
Therefore not recognizing the latest design of the project would
effectively be rejecting the state's original agreement to share
in the cost of improving these levees. Staff notes that the bill
would also conform state's authorization to the federal
authorization.
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