BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 144
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Date of Hearing: June 30, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON WATER, PARKS, AND WILDLIFE
Marc Levine, Chair
SB
144 (Pan) - As Amended April 6, 2015
SENATE VOTE: 40-0
SUBJECT: Water development projects: American and Sacramento
Rivers.
SUMMARY: Updates the project descriptions and authorizations
for specific state law flood control projects along the American
and Sacramento Rivers in order to make the scope of those
projects consistent with their current federal feasibility
studies and authorizations. Also makes nonsubstantive technical
corrections.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Requires flood management projects that receive State
financial assistance, as specified, to:
a) Qualify for federal financial assistance under the
requirements applicable to federal water resource
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development projects and to be federally authorized.
b) Be cost-effective, as specified.
c) Be in compliance with federal floodplain management, as
specified.
d) Avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to environmental
and recreational values.
e) Include an opportunity to include multipurpose
objectives.
2)Requires the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (formerly
called the Reclamation Board) or Department of Water Resources
(DWR), in an advisory role, to provide sufficient review and
oversight to determine whether the project meets the statutory
requirements set out above.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee
Analysis approximately $40 to $60 million in General Fund for
additional state obligations in flood control project costs.
COMMENTS: This bill would update the current state
authorization for flood control along the American and
Sacramento Rivers to match the federal authorization, as
modified by the final feasibility study for the Natomas Basin.
The bill would also make numerous technical, non-substantive
corrections to the authorizing statutes.
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1)Author's statement: The author states that the constructed
projects, as specified in this bill, will increase the ability
of the existing flood control system to protect heavily
urbanized areas within the City of Sacramento and the counties
of Sacramento and Sutter consistent with specifications
prescribed as part of the Sacramento River Flood Control
Project. The author states that this bill would ensure that
the historic Federal-State-local cost-sharing partnership is
continued and construction moves forward as quickly as
possible.
2)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 and that meet other
specific requirements. One requirement is that the project
must be authorized by Congress.
Among the local flood control projects that have been
authorized by the Legislature is "The project for flood
control along the American and Sacramento Rivers ? within the
Natomas Basin as described in the final engineer's report
dated April 19, 2007, adopted by the Sacramento Area Flood
Control Agency." This project has been further refined in the
"2010 final feasibility study for the American River
Watershed, Common Features Project, Natomas Basin, adopted by
Congress in Section 7002 of the Water Resources Reform and
Development Act of 2014."
3)Prior and related legislation:
AB 1147 (Honda), Chapter 1071, Statutes of 2000, required a
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flood management project that received state financial
assistance, as specified, to meet prescribed requirements
prior to state authorization including, but not limited to,
mitigation, environmental review, and liability. Also adopted
and authorized projects in specific regions of the State
including the City of Sacramento and Sacramento and Sutter
Counties.
SB 276 (Steinberg), Chapter 641, Statutes of 2007, authorized
State participation in the Folsom Dam modification project to
provide a 200-year level of flood protection on the American
River for Sacramento.
4)Supporting arguments: Supporters state that this bill would
modify the 2007 state authorization for the Natomas Project to
match the federal authorizations. Supporters note this bill
will not alter the federal-state-local cost sharing made
applicable to the project under the 2007 authorization but
simply harmonizes the state authorization with the federal
feasibility, which increased the scope of work in order to
provide the Natomas Basin with a 200-year level of flood
protection.
5)Opposing arguments: None on file.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency(sponsor)
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Association of California Water Agencies
California Central Valley Flood Control Association
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Tina Leahy / W., P., & W. / (916)
319-2096