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Levee Safety Program

In 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revamped its Levee Safety Program; inventorying the 2,000 levee systems in its portfolio, refining its levee inspection program, and revising its levee safety policies and procedures. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided funds to jumpstart levee periodic inspections, a more detailed inspection conducted once every five years.

Under $4.6 million in ARRA contracts to engineering firms, the Sacramento District completed 10 levee systems in the Central Valley in 2010, including those in Yuba City, Marysville, Sacramento, and the Stockton area. Periodic inspections of the remaining levee systems, as well as routine, or annual, inspections of levee systems in the Levee Safety Program, are ongoing. (By agreement with the Corps, the California Department of Water Resources conducts levee inspections in California’s Central Valley twice a year, with the Corps conducting routine inspections of 10 percent of those levees for quality assurance.)

The results of Corps levee inspections determine continued eligibility for the Levee Safety Program’s Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP), the Corps’ authority to provide federal aid in repairing levees damaged by floods or storms. They also provide a better picture of levee conditions; an important step in our shared efforts with state and local authorities to communicate flood risk and make informed decisions on how best to reduce it.

LEVEE SYSTEM INSPECTION STATUS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Expiration of the Central Valley Flood System Improvement Framework

Recognizing the significant challenge of addressing the many, widespread deficiencies throughout Central Valley levee systems, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked with the California Central Valley Flood Protection Board, as well as other federal, state and local agencies, through the California Levees Roundtable to develop the Central Valley Flood System Improvement Framework (Framework) in 2009.

The Framework provided interim guidance for levee maintenance while California's Central Valley Flood Protection Plan was developed, temporarily affording continued federal rehabilitation assistance eligibility for levee systems sponsored by the board with five categories of deficiencies: channel capacity, seepage, erosion, encroachments, and vegetation. The purpose of the Framework was to allow time for developing a long-term strategy for bringing board-sponsored levees into compliance with Corps levee maintenance standards.

The board adopted the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan June 29, 2012, causing the Framework to expire. As a result, 17 levee systems in the Central Valley that received unacceptable maintenance ratings during their last inspection but remained active in the Corps' program because of the Framework are now inactive and currently ineligible for federal rehabilitation assistance. Each of the 17 received unacceptable ratings due to encroachments and/or erosion issues.

Expiration of the Central Valley Flood System Improvement Framework --  Fact Sheet
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers letter to Central Valley Flood Protection Board
Corps comments on Central Valley Flood Protection Plan
California Central Valley Flood System Improvement Framework
California Central Valley Flood Protection Plan
Corps System-Wide Improvement Framework Policy Fact Sheet
Map of Central Valley levee system inspection results/inspection status
Photos of common levee deficiencies in the Central Valley

view levee video

Additional Levee Information

Framework FAQs

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Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  1. Why is the Corps putting these levees in an inactive status in its Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP)?
These levees received unacceptable ratings during maintenance inspections because of encroachments, erosion, bank caving and other maintenance deficiencies. In June a temporary agreement between the Corps and the state expired. That agreement had allowed levees with unacceptable ratings to remain active in RIP. The purpose of the temporary agreement was to give the state time to develop a long-term strategy for compliance with Corps operations and maintenance standards. The agreement expired when the state signed the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) because the CVFPP does not agree to fully comply with all Corps maintenance standards. This means levees with unacceptable ratings no longer qualify for the temporary exception to the eligibility requirements for the Corps’ Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP).
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  2. What difference does inactive status make?
Levees in an inactive status are ineligible for federal repair and rehabilitation funds under the Rehabilitation and Inspection Program if they are damaged during a flood event. However, the Corps continues to offer flood fighting assistance during emergencies. We will also continue to communicate the condition of the levees. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board continues to be responsible for maintenance.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  3. How does this affect people who live behind levees?
People who live or work behind levees should always be aware that levees never eliminate risk. Additionally, these levees have operation and maintenance deficiencies that could prevent the system from performing as intended in a flood event, as was reported during the release of their inspection results. Residents should know their risk, know their local emergency notification and evacuation plan, and take action to reduce their risk.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  4. Is vegetation the issue?
For all 17 systems, the overall unacceptable rating was due to encroachments, erosion and/or bank caving – the most prevalent and potentially hazardous deficiencies. While non-compliant vegetation and other maintenance deficiencies were also found, these alone would not have resulted in an overall unacceptable system rating for these levee systems.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  5. How can you expect the state to make all these significant repairs with no money?
The USACE system-wide improvement framework (SWIF) policy allows eligible levee sponsors to correct deficiencies as part of a larger system-wide improvement plan. Improvements can be implemented in a prioritized "worst first" way to optimize achieving risk reduction. We recognize that implementing system-wide improvements will need to be done within a collaborative intergovernmental framework and that it will take time to develop and implement improvements. Submitting a system-wide improvement framework plan is a two-step process. A Letter of Intent is submitted followed by submission of a SWIF plan. The applicant can have up to two years to develop the plan and the plan could be implemented over a longer period of time commensurate with the complexity and scale of the deficiencies to be addressed.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  6. How will this affect flood insurance?
Corps levee inspections do not include all of the engineering analyses required for levee system evaluation or accreditation for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Federal Emergency Management Agency is the appropriate agency to discuss levee accreditation, eligibility for flood insurance, and flood insurance rates.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  7. Why hasn’t the state done a System-wide Improvement Framework (SWIF)?
That is a question best addressed to the state. A SWIF would allow Central Valley levee systems to retain Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP) eligibility while improvements are made to transition to Corps standards over time. We are ready to work with the state or local levee maintaining agencies that decide to pursue SWIFS. Regardless of RIP status, we will always help flood fight in an emergency.
Click here to expand contentClick here to collapse content  8. Are levees losing rehabilitation assistance eligibility because of changing Corps standards?
Our levee maintenance requirements have not been raised in California or anywhere else in America. We inspect levees using the same operation and maintenance manuals that levee managers have been obligated to follow for decades and a nationally standardized checklist. The only policy change related to our inspections is that we now rate levees in terms of levee systems; that is, a levee system gets an overall rating based on the rating of its lowest-rated segment, because levee systems are only as strong as their weakest link. The Corps implemented this change in 2007.
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