Lt. Col. Ike Ukachi, left, deputy commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, joins dignitaries of the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, California Department of Water Resources, Representative Josh Harder, and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency for a groundbreaking ceremony on April 18, 2025. The event formally kicks off the first phase of work on the Lower San Joaquin River Project, a $1.95 billion multi-year project to reduce the flood risk for more than 235,000 residents in north and central Stockton.