[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6641239,"mediaKeyId","2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20","parentId",2547275,"title","Local managers urge permitting reform, multi‑benefit projects and more stormwater capture to reduce flood risk","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",10431000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20&start=10431&end=10431","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20/thumbnail_10431000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6641239/California/Local-managers-urge-permitting-reform-multibenefit-projects-and-more-stormwater-capture-to-reduce-flood-risk","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641239-e42f021c345637a4006c064e19b632df/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437824&Signature=eGDjD4rWrpd4y5xYY8UH8FWfcp9uvM2SOpKWy4ZaiDuB4hRv2HDbUSh~ATb9tdzfoS5wcNffZVhSBlrdQZB2bbZSk54goE~tDnNlbkxicmeyw8ykBWn6qXi95M~t9qix49GZ8A~OM5foXOeseUFGy873n7TdM5QfX6pbZ3uoQE5EDJqtsZO3-L7JomTzdj~0Kd6~kNVhamGpe3ye8rnE8klLz3uQoQvn-lvspdcleJN2Io05np~ewXrPd11L3E8pqy-kkB48PML0byfFKPDSeiDfUyFnw6p1UHMbyyLtB56If~bfmc0IqUOiPrK7sCbD3uz4v5bJJ~Oxh6HWs9eerA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","California State Assembly","date","2025-03-11T00:00:00Z","article","Regional flood managers, stormwater advocates and city officials urged legislative action to streamline permitting, resource regulators for partnership, and expand multi‑benefit projects that combine flood protection with habitat, groundwater recharge and community amenities.

Mark Strudley, general manager of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, described the Pajaro Valley project as an example where geographic constraints force a combined approach. He said AB 876 (recently enacted for the project) used the Corps’ federal NEPA analysis to streamline state approvals, and he urged more statutory and funding support for regulator‑applicant collaboration rather than one‑way oversight.

Karen Cowan, executive director of the California Stormwater Quality Association, urged policy makers to treat ‘‘stormwater’’ as a resource. She said urban stormwater capture delivers a strong socioeconomic return, particularly if projects are located in neighborhoods lacking green space, and she urged legislative action to reduce barriers to capture and source‑control measures (for example, reducing plastic pollution at source instead of relying on downstream cleanup).

Jason Huley of the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District emphasized the changing hazard profile in Southern California — stronger monsoon and tropical moisture events, burn scars and urbanization — and recommended specific changes: fold mud‑and‑debris planning into fire emergency declarations; create a more tailored permitting pathway for climate resiliency projects; and ensure disadvantaged community grants can fund pragmatic upgrades (for some low‑income neighborhoods that need paving and drainage rather than parks).

Ken Hyatt, City Manager of Woodland, described local political obstacles: a ballot initiative had blocked a Corps‑authorized project and left the city seeking a more broadly supported alternative that will also reflect climate change in modeling. Panelists urged lawmakers to support regional planning, fund regulators so they can partner with applicants, and maintain flexible funding that allows practical, locally appropriate solutions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee (1)","oneSentenceSummary","Regional managers and stormwater advocates told the Assembly that permitting processes and regulatory resourcing slow flood projects, and that multi‑benefit and stormwater capture projects (including in disadvantaged neighborhoods) are cost‑effective tools to reduce flood risk and provide other community benefits.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6641246,"Regional agencies urge steady, increased funding for subventions and rehabilitation programs",926,7693000,8619000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20&start=7693&end=8619","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20/thumbnail_7693000.jpg","/articles/6641246/California/Regional-agencies-urge-steady-increased-funding-for-subventions-and-rehabilitation-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641246-a512e70a1a02c64d9758a063aa631f16/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437824&Signature=fKgv~xkJVcEyt-jxkUcdlhuJRMWIZy4PH75TQ1YSBjOH3VZGqlj-QdDzND2x0vZC0rf8ZtYSdEx5UkQAtZomJYwbuDJkuxJQoLaeaBNKg2UifGu0a1w9l9C0QZ2DXnGSu6ZxNNKjfiByw3-LZx7fAbHuZgOpBl3Afd7SoYaeIZIl8mRicSifb0~hWwiP82X1ZF3QVwFk5CuN1HixHLXxuyzh8E6JTHJgbQ7aPx4xAx~NYaiKMJwYEqCkVypYIWpT0LIa1zOu2POUh7HUDakDLASTt4sCwgAMaV4tllBqb9MsbLsdZIW9LCCW47G-JmLb9M15M3HTnusBIQhCIe3X0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Local and regional flood managers described the financing gap for flood management and urged lawmakers to commit to sustained funding for maintenance, rehabilitation and construction.

Tom Engler, engineer for the Central Valley Flood Control Association, summarized the Central Valley’s long‑term funding needs, saying recent plan updates identify annual routine needs of roughly $380 million and overall multidecade needs in the tens of billions (witnesses gave a range of figures during the hearing). Engler and other witnesses urged the Legislature to increase consistent annual funding rather than relying on intermittent allocations.

Megan Nagy, deputy manager for Reclamation District 108 and general manager for nearby levee districts, described how targeted state seed grants have unlocked federal assistance: she said her districts used design and regional planning funds to prepare a FEMA application that yielded an estimated $26 million Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) award for levee seepage mitigation in Grimes. Nagy and other local managers also highlighted the Department of Water Resources’ state plan of flood control maintenance assistance program (FMAP), which helps local maintaining agencies stay eligible for federal rehabilitation assistance; Nagy said a single district received more than $30 million in federal rehabilitation funds since 2017 and warned that program cuts would jeopardize future aid.

Tom Engler and other speakers asked lawmakers to support bond or budget measures that restore and expand dam‑safety and flood control funding. Engler noted that a proposed large flood bond was substantially reduced before final action on a broader climate and water bond, leaving the state’s flood allocations far below identified needs. Multiple witnesses stressed the importance of leveraging state dollars to attract federal funding and of prioritizing projects that protect urban populations as well as small disadvantaged communities.","Local and regional flood managers told the Assembly that steady state funding and better access to federal grants are essential to keep levees and state plan facilities eligible for federal rehabilitation assistance and to complete major projects that protect communities and infrastructure.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6641251,"State agencies and Central Valley Flood Protection Board define roles, liability and planning needs",649,4839000,5488000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20&start=4839&end=5488","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20/thumbnail_4839000.jpg","/articles/6641251/California/State-agencies-and-Central-Valley-Flood-Protection-Board-define-roles-liability-and-planning-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641251-0ad3af088cc0f8258196a0ef4130b9b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437824&Signature=m9AT5MirnmyXzWux-4Lwwenmrsq5gdl-Q88ETBLjNW-qZYoR6US2aX5BGcHUk1euiuG-vp6WEG66UN7WOLT0oia6o9hH9vbQeuwhTM4gOWx0INrX3g5fjyFFN2MpmrL~A~byw9ZWof2tebg7EnLyP79l~bPjQ4OMd3GVVyKf7NumHEcYCj6tvuZYWMQ9gVFTg8IZcUzVEUOzmLH9xaDaar7BJdaQz95ZSHOhbAMR2lbzNcnZyWy~j0cdxFiz8WgI-6txaNCK9HXPp4Q4z45WXUczjU1kbbtaQvCmTDWOHzCjLUqi26~ZOdVbwe~UqPYJKmne-dD9bcJAuGzByuSElg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Water Resources and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board told the Assembly they play distinct but complementary roles in flood management and that the Central Valley carries special legal liability for certain flood‑control facilities.

Laura Hollander, deputy director for flood management and dam safety at DWR, outlined the agency’s statewide roles: risk assessment and modeling, technical assistance to local agencies, forecasting and river monitoring through the California‑Nevada River Forecasting System, deployment of flood‑fight materials from a state operations center and administration of state grant programs. She said DWR coordinates seasonally with local and federal partners, and provides grants that assist local agencies with emergency planning and project development.

Hollander said the state must balance investments across maintenance of aging infrastructure, operational readiness and planning for sea level rise and climate‑driven changes in storm behavior. She also noted that the National Flood Insurance Program reaches only a small portion of households who should carry flood insurance.

Jane Dolan, president of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, traced the Valley’s flood governance history and recounted the 1861–62 ‘‘great flood’’ as context for the region’s exposure. She highlighted the board’s role in reviewing, permitting and adopting the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan mandated under SB5 and explained how the 1997–2000 litigation following the Linda levee failure (the Paterno case) led to heightened state liability for the state plan of flood control. Under that legal framework, Dolan said, the state faces substantial obligations if it assumes responsibility for facilities without timely remedial action.

Dolan described the Central Valley plan as a 30‑year roadmap that identified roughly $1 billion per year in investments (the board and other witnesses also gave higher, longer‑term estimates), prioritized regional flood planning and urged targeted funding for smaller, disadvantaged communities. She said the plan emphasizes regional coordination, public transparency and aligning planning across many local maintaining agencies.

Both DWR and the board stressed reliance on federal partners — notably the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA — for major construction and disaster assistance but noted that federal investment has become uncertain at times and that state‑local coordination is critical to operations and recovery.","Department of Water Resources deputy director Laura Hollander and Central Valley Flood Protection Board President Jane Dolan described the state's emergency response role, unique Central Valley liability stemming from the Paterno decision, and requirements of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (SB5) at an Assembly hearing.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_46":105,"_48":106,"_50":107,"_52":108,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":109,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":110,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6641255,"California faces rising flood risk as climate change intensifies, expert tells Assembly hearing",1287,2083000,3370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20&start=2083&end=3370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2547275-aeca7146a419509a95443a975a31cc20/thumbnail_2083000.jpg","/articles/6641255/California/California-faces-rising-flood-risk-as-climate-change-intensifies-expert-tells-Assembly-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641255-a2db3c2574866ca572b559b183e2caf3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437824&Signature=XitZKWxCrVn05XeOkw3w7mcgB116Dez-14K-j~P7XXpjcPywbxGywyVfncZpvfD92ZykIeYY~UeU8jkvHZ0ZQ8uak1V67yFrh~cJVlHQgMr-9l8E1asstDwsORb8eubh-~vlLwFYKxpJvu4XYgL9uctIOtNErAT~wbiRg2gfovB3DFPzcXr835egcuY5UGWhTdDacF9RvQCwgf6KgE5Nid9DB7u7he0r98C6tzT~rJaYw33k2X6qNIwESgD4mEbJEt~YVVWKgld3OFWqjQLrHN8lK09yNg0y0UwqW2pMww8Ojh-G1SC0mZcPRnJGxMJ1kLL4ueBXRuGOkkNPwXkOog__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senior fellow Jeffrey Mount of the Public Policy Institute of California told the California State Assembly at an informational hearing that climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of major flood events and that the state’s present approach to flood planning is rooted in historical hydrology rather than what climate models project.

Mount said the state faces rising economic risk from flooding and cited modeling that places the scale of a worst‑case event at roughly $1 trillion in damages. He emphasized that ‘‘risk’’ in his remarks referred to the economic consequences of flooding — the probability of large events combined with the cost when they occur.

Mount laid out the basic mechanics: a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, warmer oceans feed stronger atmospheric rivers, and those rivers are California’s principal ‘‘floodmakers.’’ He described four distinct flood types Californians face — fluvial (riverine), pluvial (rainfall/urban drainage), debris flows and coastal flooding — and said each requires different management approaches. ‘‘We are planning for the past,’’ Mount said, criticizing reliance on historical hydrology to set standards such as the federal ‘‘100‑year’’ flood mapping.

Mount summarized recent losses and near misses, noting that even a relatively mild year produced an estimated $5 billion to $7 billion in damages in 2023, and that models of the 1861–62 ‘‘great flood’’ suggest an event of that scale could become far more likely under current warming trends. He and other witnesses also warned that federal forecasting and modeling capacity is under strain; Mount said some core federal modeling groups face staffing and funding uncertainties that could undermine national forecasting capabilities.

On solutions, Mount stressed a mix of structural and nonstructural approaches: levees, bypasses and dams remain essential, but nonstructural measures such as land‑use planning, hazard mitigation, emergency response and groundwater storage (managed aquifer recharge) are cost‑effective complements. He said groundwater storage is ‘‘the number one opportunity’’ for water management tied to flooding, but that infrastructure and water‑rights and permitting questions limit how much can be recharged during very large storms.

Mount also raised financing as a major challenge. Citing prior PPIC work, he estimated annual statewide needs for flood investment to be in the low billions of dollars — substantially more than current spending — and called flood management a ‘‘fiscal orphan’’ because few Californians pay a dedicated ‘‘flood bill’’ analogous to monthly water service charges. He urged policymakers to update planning and funding to account for a nonstationary climate.

Mount concluded by urging lawmakers to prioritize prospective modeling and to prepare the state for more frequent extreme flood events rather than relying on past patterns.","At a California State Assembly informational hearing, Jeffrey Mount of the Public Policy Institute of California told lawmakers that warming climate and stronger atmospheric rivers are increasing flood risk statewide, potentially making historic 19th‑century floods far more likely and raising the economic stakes to trillions of dollars.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Local managers urge permitting reform, multi‑benefit projects and more stormwater capture to reduce flood risk

Regional agencies urge steady, increased funding for subventions and rehabilitation programs

State agencies and Central Valley Flood Protection Board define roles, liability and planning needs

California faces rising flood risk as climate change intensifies, expert tells Assembly hearing