Local Developments

FMA Members receive monthly and quarterly updates on national highlights and local developments. Become a member today to stay current with flood risk and floodplain management policy and practice!

CALIFORNIA DWR ANNOUNCES THE FORMATION OF ITS CLIMATE CHANGE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP

Among its responsibilities, the CCTAG will provide advice to DWR on how best to incorporate climate change into analysis for the California Water Plan. You can view the press release here.

DWR RELEASES LIST OF DRAFT GRANT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS

The Department of Water Resources has released the list of Draft Grant Award Recommendations from the 2008 USRP Grant Solicitation. The list is now available for public review and can be found at the USRP website. Twelve projects are being recommended for grant funding this solicitation cycle for a total of $8,765,335 from Propositions 84 and 40. Through local community and local public agency partnerships, the USRP provides grants for projects which reduce flooding and erosion, and associated property damage; restore, enhance, or protect the natural ecological values of streams, and promotes community involvement, education, and stewardship.

CONGRESSWOMAN MATSUI ANNOUNCES AN ADDITIONAL $8 MILLION FOR SACRAMENTO FLOOD PROJECTS

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) announced that the Folsom Dam Joint Federal Project (JFP) will receive $7.42 million from the Army Corps of Engineers new 'Reserve Fund'. Additionally, the Folsom Dam Raise project will receive $720,000 from the fund. The year-end appropriations package for fiscal year 2012 established a $59.3 million fund to allow the Corps to allocate additional money to critical flood protection projects. Congresswoman Matsui immediately began advocating for the JFP to receive a portion of that fund, sending a letter to the Corps in December. See full article here.

2012 CFCC FUNDING FAIRS

The 2012 California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) is pleased to announce six free upcoming funding fairs located in San Diego, Riverside, Fresno, Santa Cruz, Redding and Sacramento. The CFCC Funding Fairs provide opportunities for economic development professionals and local government officials to obtain more information about the grant, loan and bond financing options that are available for critical infrastructure projects in their region. Each Funding Fair includes overviews of state and federal financing programs and on-site technical assistance for specific projects. CFCC was formed in 1998 and is made up of eight funding agencies: five state and three federal. CFCC members facilitate and expedite the completion of various types of infrastructure projects by helping customers combine the resources of different agencies. Project information is shared between members so additional resources can be identified. CFCC members conduct free Funding Fairs statewide each year to educate the public and potential customers about the different member agencies and the financial and technical resources available. More information available here.

PUBLIC DRAFT 2012 CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION PLAN The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Central Valley Flood Planning Office transmitted the Public Draft 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and the December 2011 Flood Control System Status Report to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Board). To view these documents visit here.

CONGRESSWOMAN MATSUI ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR SACRAMENTO FLOOD PROJECTS IN YEAR-END 'MEGABUS' BILL

Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento) voted to pass the nine-bill "megabus" appropriations package for fiscal year 2012. The megabus included the Energy and Water appropriations bill which funds the Army Corps of Engineers and, in turn, Sacramento's flood projects. The House-passed version of the bill earlier this year included a 9.6 percent reduction in funding for Sacramento's projects. However, Congresswoman Matsui continued to advocate on behalf of Sacramento's flood protection to the Conference Committee, and the projects ultimately saw only a slight reduction from the President's request for FY12. "Each one of Sacramento's projects is a critical component to improving our flood protection and ensuring our region's public safety," said Congresswoman Matsui. "I am very pleased to see Sacramento's flood projects getting the funding they need and deserve in this 'megabus' bill. While many other Corps projects were zeroed out or substantially cut, I worked to ensure that Sacramento's projects were able to move forward without delay." More information available here.

CLIMATE CHANGE HANDBOOK FOR REGIONAL WATER PLANNING

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Resources Legacy Fund, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are announcing the publication of the Climate Change Handbook for Regional Water Planning. The handbook can be downloaded from DWR's website.

DWR FLOOD RISK NOTIFICATION FOR 2011

The California Department of Water Resources has released the annual Flood Risk Notification for 2011. View notice here. Property owners may visit the program's web site here and enter their address to get more information about their flood risk.

DWR SCHEDULES WORKSHOPS

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has scheduled three workshops to solicit comments on draft guidelines to direct Proposition 1E funding to flood management projects and activities in support of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP). The guidelines - specifically related to the Central Valley Flood System Conservation Strategy (Conservation Strategy) - are posted here. See workshop schedule informaton here. For more information on the workshops, contact Lori Chew at (916) 653-5735 or Terri Gaines at (916) 653-6520.

FUTURE GRANT FUNDING SOLICITATIONS

A schedule for future grant funding solicitations has been posted on the IRWM Resources and Links page. Graphic files have also been posted to this page. Contact and Funding Area Information has also been updated.

PROPOSITION 1E STORMWATER FLOOD MANAGEMENT GRANT

DWR has announced the release of Draft Funding Recommendations for the Proposition 1E Round 1 Stormwater Flood Management Grant Program. On September 30, 2011, DWR will conduct an Open House and Public Comment Meeting to discuss individual Proposal Evaluations and receive comments on the Draft Funding Recommendations. Information on Funding Recommendations, Proposal Evaluations, instructions for submitting comments, and Open House/Public Comment Meeting can be viewed and downloaded here.

LOCAL LEVEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

In November 2006, California voters approved Proposition 84, which is a bond measure that provides funding for a wide variety of uses, including levee evaluations and repairs to critically-damaged levees. In 2008, the Local Levee Assistance Program (LLAP) solicited for levee project applications and awarded a total of $9 million for 12 grants. The 2011 solicitation period is now open and applications are being accepted for new grants based on the 2011 Guidelines and the 2011 Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP). In this round, $49.7 million is available for grants. Public workshops will be held by program staff to present information on how to apply and to answer questions about the process. For workshop information, see here.

CONGRESSWOMAN MATSUI ASKS PRESIDENT TO INCLUDE NATOMAS LEVEE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN JOBS PACKAGE

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (CA-5) sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking that federal authorization for the Natomas Levee Improvement Project (NLIP) be included in the jobs package the Administration is preparing to submit to Congress. Congresswoman Matsui argues that the Natomas project will create much-needed jobs in the Sacramento region, while improving the flood protection levels for Natomas residents and businesses, writing, "By including authorizations for such projects, including one for the Natomas Levee Improvement Project, which has been fully vetted by your Administration, I believe your jobs package can help crucial public safety projects get built and put thousands of Americans back to work." The letter continues, "I believe your jobs package is the appropriate vehicle for authorizing this project and others like it, as it achieves your economic goals." Sacramento County's unemployment rate stands at 12.9 percent, and the construction industry has lost 33,000 jobs in the Sacramento region since 2006. When completed, the Natomas Levee Improvement Project will give the people of Natomas 200-year flood protection. The area was remapped by FEMA in 2008. A copy of the signed letter is attached and is available here.

CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD ACCEPTING CONCEPT APPLICATIONS FOR THE CWA 319 NONPOINT SOURCE (NPS) 2012 GRANT PROGRAM

Approximately $4.5 million is available statewide for projects that will restore surface waters impaired by NPS pollution. Funds are available for projects that 1) contribute to the restoration of NPS impaired waters through reduced pollutant loads (as called for by TMDLs) or 2) implement or undertake planning/assessments that lead to implementation of an adopted or nearly adopted TMDL. Successful applicants will be invited (on November 10) to submit a full proposal application due Jan. 6, 2012. Proposals will be selected through a competitive process. The grant amounts are between $75,000-$125,000 for planning/assessment projects and $250,000-$750,000 for implementation projects. An electronic concept application must be submitted by 5 pm, Friday, September 16, 2011. For detailed information on eligibility requirements, please read the Solicitation Notice or visit the CWA 319(h) NPS Program Solicitation webpage here.

DWR ANNOUNCES FINAL AWARDS

DWR has announced the Final Awards for the Round 1 Proposition 84 Implementation Grant Program. The final awards can be found here. To view the public comments received on the draft funding recommendations, please go here.

STATEWIDE BEST AVAILABLE FLOODPLAINS - NEW WEB VIEWER

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has developed a Best Available Floodplains web viewer located here. The intent of the web viewer is to provide the most up-to-date understanding of the risk exposure to flooding for communities in the State so that local governments can make informed decisions about land-use planning and the need for flood protection improvements in their communities. The web viewer will also assist landowners and homeowners to make informed choices about managing their property, including their choice about purchasing flood insurance. For full article, please click here.

DWR OFFERS ASSISTANCE COMPLETING FEMA'S HAZARD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE GRANT NOTICE OF INTEREST FORMS

The Department of Water Resources is offering assistance in completing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant “Notice of Interest” forms which are due by August 8, 2011. Please contact Ricardo Pineda at rpineda@water.ca.gov with a subject line of “HMA Assistance for …” or leave a message at (916) 574-1449 through August 4, 2011 COB.

California Emergency Management Agency - Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Program is now accepting Notice of Interest (NOI) forms for the following four FEMA non-disaster grant programs: Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)12, Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)12, Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) and Severe Repetitive Loss (SRL) Grant programs. The NOI deadline is August 8, 2011 by 11:59 PM (submitted electronically) here.

Communities submitting eligible NOIs will be contacted by CalEMA Hazard Mitigation staff after August 8, 2011 and assisted with the development of a Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant application for FEMA’s four non-disaster grant programs. If an NOI was not submitted, the project/planning grant application cannot be considered. Please submit one NOI per proposed project/activity and use the provided NOI Form for all four non-disaster grant programs. Visit this link for NOI form.

CDPH IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR GRANT FUNDING SECTION 75025 - PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is pleased to announce that we are accepting applications for the second round of Proposition 84, Section 75025 funding. The purpose of the program is to provide funding for projects that prevent or reduce the contamination of groundwater. Eligible applicants are public agencies, non-profit organizations, and community water systems that hold or have applied for a domestic water permit pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 116525. Maximum grant award is $10 million per project; no funding match is required. If you have an eligible project and are interested in this funding opportunity, please fill out and return the attached Notice of Intent (NOI) form by July 31, 2011. Applicants that do not submit a NOI form by the deadline will not be considered for funding. After submitting a NOI, please fill out and return a complete application by August 31, 2011. Applications received after this deadline will not be processed and the project will not be considered for funding. For more information and application materials, please visit this document.

CONGRESSSWOMAN MATSUI ANNOUNCES INITIAL FUNDING LEVELS FOR SACRAMENTO FLOOD PROTECTION PRIORITIES

See article here.

IRWM PROP 1E GRANT PROGRAM

On Friday April 15, 2011, DWR’s IRWM Program received 41 grant applications for the Prop 1E Stormwater Flood Management Round 1 solicitation requesting approximately $265M with a total project cost of $599M. Details for all 41 applications here.

PRESIDENT DECLARES A MAJOR DISASTER FOR CALIFORNIA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to California to supplement the state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by a tsunami wave surge on March 11, 2011. More inforation available here.

WORKSHOPS ON DRAFT GRANT GUIDELINES FOR FLOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROJECTS AND DRAFT SAMPLE FLOOD SAFETY PLAN

The Department of Water Resources is hosting two series of workshops, one on draft grant guidelines for local flood emergency response projects and the other for a draft sample flood safety plan. A workshop on each topic is scheduled for Friday, April 8, at Whiteaker Hall in Yuba City. More workshops are scheduled through the first week of May. For more information about the draft grant guidelines and scheduled workshops, view the invitation letter here.

2010 CLIMATE ACTION TEAM REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE

Full report here.

CA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION LETTER TO CORPS OF ENGINEERS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-Sacramento) sent a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Jo-Ellen Darcy, with 16 of her colleagues Tuesday urging a change in the Army Corps of Engineers' policy regarding vegetation on levees, which tries to apply a national policy of removing vegetation on levees, regardless of whether that vegetation could result in the weakening of levees. The Corps does have a variance process, but the high cost to have one granted is cost-prohibitive for the majority of state and local agencies, and can consume precious financial resources that could instead be spent on levee improvement projects. The 17 California Congressional Members specifically asked the Corps in their letter to do the following: Delay finalization of the Vegetation Variance Policy; Continue to review stakeholder comments and revise the policy to address them; Continue with the Roundtable in the Central Valley and work through the identified implementation issues; Establish a similar mechanism for other areas of California to address implementation issues unique to those areas.

ASCE/EWRI SYMPOSIUM

On February 15, 2011, an interactive symposium titled, Resiliency of Water Management –Dynamic Balancing in the 21st Century, organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers – Environmental and Water Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI), Sacramento Chapter, in collaboration with the Floodplain Management Association (FMA), brought together over 120 experts and practitioners in water management to discuss new strategies for water management. The symposium highlighted the critical need for a shift toward a new, dynamic, risk-based and adaptive water management approach, one which fully recognizes the existence of (a) uncertainty of natural systems, (b) the variable stressors on water such as scarcity, climate change and population growth, and (c) the diverse interests that play a key role in water governance. An outcome of the Symposium is a White Paper that presents the key ideas and recommendations set forth by the diverse and distinguished panel members and participants that attended the Symposium. The Paper has been sent to Governor Jerry Brown and other elected officials.

DELTA INDEPENDENT SCIENCE BOARD RELEASES REPORT ON DELTA STRESSORS

The Delta Independent Science Board (ISB) has released its final report evaluating multiple stressors in the California Delta. The Delta ISB held a workshop Jan. 12-13, 2011 and a follow-up teleconference Jan. 24 to address a request from some members of the California Senate, Assembly and the Delta Stewardship Council to evaluate stressors to the Delta. The report will be presented to the Council at its Jan. 27-28 meeting. For more information, click here.

CALIFORNIA CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has been one of the early leaders in including climate change analysis in its planning studies and reports; however, DWR does not currently have a standard framework or a set of recommended approaches for considering climate change in its planning studies. A variety of approaches to characterize and analyze future climate have been used in various DWR planning studies. This paper surveys and summarizes the approaches and methodologies that have been used over the last four years. It is the first comprehensive comparative look at the different approaches, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they have been used in past studies. This work is anticipated to lay the groundwork for a future DWR study aimed at developing a standard framework and a consistent set of approaches to be used for characterizing and analyzing climate change in future DWR planning studies and which may provide guidance for DWR partners and grantees. The final report: "Climate Change Characterization and Analysis in California Water Resources Planning Studies" by Abdul Khan and Andrew Schwarz is now posted on the DWR internal climate change website here.

PRESIDENT DECLARES MAJOR DISASTER FOR CALIFORNIA

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to California to supplement tribal, state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe winter storms, flooding, and debris and mud flows during the period of December 17, 2010, to January 4, 2011. For information: President Declares Major Disaster For California

REPORT OF ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES by Gary B. Bardini, Chief, Division of Flood Management, DWR, 12/03/10. Click here to download the report.

CALIFORNIA RELEASES WHITE PAPER ON NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

On October 6, 2010, Secretary for Natural Resources Lester Snow hosted a policy summit titled “The Future of Natural Resource Management”. The purpose of the summit was to facilitate discussion and debate within the natural resource management and environmental community regarding policy, legislation and finance strategies that would lead to better integration of resource management activities. Local, state and federal government agencies, conservation organizations, industry representatives and other interested stakeholders, including the Floodplain Management Association, attended the summit. This document is a report on the outcome of the event and presents a series of near-term and long-term policy recommendations for consideration by the Governor-elect’s administration. To download the paper, click here.

CALIFORNIA CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION REPORT RELEASED

In preparation to conclude Phase 2 activities for the development of the 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP), the California Department of Water Resources announces the release of the Management Actions Report (MAR) and the Interim Progress Summary No. 2 (IPS No. 2). The MAR summarizes the identification, development, and evaluation of a wide range of individual management actions that contribute to CVFPP goals and address identified problems and opportunities related to flood management in the lands receiving protection from the facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control. The MAR is accompanied with two appendices: Appendix A - Management Action Descriptions and Appendix B - Considerations for Management Actions Applicability. IPS No. 2 is a high-level summary of the CVFPP development process, summary of the results of Phase 2 planning efforts, and a look ahead to upcoming development activities. Both documents are available on CVFMP Program website.

CALIFORNIA RELEASES FINAL FLOOD LEGISLATION GUIDANCE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES

The Department of Water Resources has released a guidance document entitled Implementing California Flood Legislation into Local Land Use Planning: A Handbook for Local Communities. The Handbook describes how the 2007 flood risk management legislation affects city and county responsibilities related to local planning requirements, including general plans, development agreements, zoning ordinances, tentative maps and other actions. This Handbook is intended to help cities and counties comply with the new legislation by identifying and interpreting the provisions of the applicable government code sections, noting additional factors and actions for local jurisdictions to consider, highlighting pertinent triggers and schedules for compliance, and directing where to go for more information. To access this document, please go here.

CALIFORNIA ANNOUNCES PROPOSITION 50 IRWM SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING IMPLEMENTATION GRANT DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS

The Proposition 50 IRWM Supplemental Funding Implementation Grant Draft Funding Recommendations have been posted to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Web site here. A 15-day public comment period begins on July 20 and ends August 3, 2010. Please see the website for detailed information.

DWR RELEASES 100-YEAR ADVISORY FLOODPLAIN MAPS BASED UPON BEST AVAILABLE DATA

In 2007, California Senate Bill No. 5 (SB 5)[1] amended the California Water Code to require the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to develop best available maps for the 100- and 200-Year floodplains for areas protected by State-Federal project levees within the Sacramento-San Joaquin (SAC-SJ) Valley. DWR has expanded the best available maps for the 100-Year floodplains to produce a statewide map set covering all counties in California. To view the latest set of maps for your area, please visit the DWR flood management web site.

CALIFORNIA TRIBES RECEIVE 1.5 MILLION IN GRANTS

Seven California tribes have been awarded over $1.5 million in federal funds for habitat conservation. The group includes some casino-gaming tribes with at least one matching the federal money with their own funds. The money from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is part of $7 million in awards the agency is distributing nationally as part of an 8-year-old program that pays tribes for removing invasive species, environmental restoration and other projects. For more information, click here.

CALIFORNIA AND FEMA SIGN STRENGTHENED MAPPING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently resigned a Cooperating Technical Partner (CTP) mapping agreement to further benefit from each agency's work. FEMA awarded a $5.2 million grant to DWR in September 2009 to support the identification of flood hazards. The focus of the work performed in partnership under this grant will be in Colusa, Lake, Plumas, San Joaquin, Sierra, Stanislaus, Fresno and Yolo Counties. This grant will strengthen the cooperation between the two agencies in evaluating flood hazards and mapping the risks associated with those hazards. A copy of this strengthened partnership agreement is online here. More information on FloodSAFE California is available here; an overview of Risk MAP is available here.

FMA AND EWRI/ASCE PRESENT WHITE PAPER TO GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER

The Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Sacramento Section of the ASCE Sustainability Committee, and the Floodplain Management Association (FMA) have sent white paper recommendations to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about how to sustain communities' water. The paper, titled A Time for Changing Values, Ideas, and Solutions in Water Management: Addressing Sustainability of California's Communities, comes from a symposium held earlier this summer. See press coverage here.