Other Projects

Feather River Regional Flood Management Planning Project

The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency is partnering with Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority (TRLIA), Yuba Water Agency, Marysville Levee Commission, and Reclamation District 1001 on an update to the Feather River Regional Flood Management Plan (RFMP). In addition to these primary partner agencies representatives of several key local levee maintaining agencies, including Levee District 1 and 9 in Sutter County, are involved. TRLIA has been identified as the lead agency for the State contract and will work in close conjunction with these partner agencies and other stakeholders to advance the flood management priorities of the Region while at the same time collaborating with the State as they develop the 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) Update.

With adoption of the CVFPP 2017 Update, regional flood management planning efforts will now shift to supporting Plan implementation. One key issue identified in the 2017 CVFPP update was the need for adequate operations, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation & replacement (OMRR&R) of State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC) facilities. The State has begun making significant investments in the SPFC with general funds and bond funding, including programs like the Deferred Maintenance (DMP) and Flood Maintenance Assistance (FMAP) programs. The active participation of the Region will be key in directing these investments to the Feather River Region and ensuring that these investments occur efficiently and maximize flood risk reduction benefits.

The RFMP will help advance the necessary planning efforts that are needed for addressing critical repairs along the Sutter Bypass East Levee. Additionally, there’s an opportunity as part of the RFMP to implement the Feather River Corridor Management Plan to support long-term OMRR&R of the channels in ways that improve and promote ecosystem benefits. The Region has also started developing a Corridor Management Plan along the Bear River and has an opportunity to complete similar plans on the Cherokee Canal and Yuba River. Additional efforts will include advancing options for more efficient Regional flood management governance and improvements to emergency operations and response activities in the region.

Sediment Removal Project

In February of 2020, Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA) received a $5M grant from the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) under the California River Parkways Grant Program – Proposition 68 to restore access at three boat ramps located along the Feather River. The work includes the removal of sediment at the Yuba City and Star Bend boat ramp locations, and removal of sediment and invasive species at the Live Oak boat ramp location. SBFCA will be taking the lead on the project work at the Yuba City and Live Oak sites, and Yuba County will be taking the lead on the project at Star Bend.

Draft Initial Study - Live Oak Boat Ramp Sediment and Invasive Species Removal Project -See table below.

2017 Emergency Repairs – Yuba City

In early 2017, a 2.9 mile segment of levee adjacent to the City’s urban center (from approximately Gilsizer Slough south to Whiteaker Hall) showed signs of severe distress – such as seepage, sink holes and boils, and waterside erosion during winter/spring storm events and in the days following the Oroville spillway failure. Local agencies and the State averted potential disaster by aggressive flood fighting over a period of several weeks.

SBFCA had no plans to repair this stretch of levee, because the US Army Corps of Engineers had previously installed a slurry wall within it (2000). However, the poor performance of the slurry wall led SBFCA and the State to plan an emergency repair for completion before the next flood season. The US Army Corps of Engineers and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board expedited the approval of permits required for the project, allowing construction to begin August 2, 2017. Given the scope and scale of the repairs, construction will be completed by December 1, which is one month after the start of flood season.

The majority of the $28.5 million project is being paid for by the California Department of Water Resources

Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Studies

On behalf of Sutter County, SBFCA is conducting two separate Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Studies, one for the Tudor area in south Sutter County, and the other for the town of Sutter. The studies will include a summary of known flooding issues and problems with the existing flood management systems. Ultimately, the studies will determine a preferred flood risk reduction solution, to include potential funding sources to pay for implementation. The feasibility studies are fully funded under the CA DWR’s Small Community Flood Risk Reduction Program.