THE CALIFORNIA DRIVE FOR SUCCESS: UNDER THE HOOD OF AN EFFECTIVE FLOOD POLICY REFORM PACKAGE

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Last week we reported that key flood bills (AB 5, AB 70, and AB 162) advanced through to Appropriations just before the policy committee deadline.

The authors of all the various flood bills pending in the Legislature have committed to work together during negotiations this summer, to pass the best possible flood policy package. Because several of the key flood bills have similar provisions, some legislative "vehicles" (lobbyist lingo for "bills") may be scrapped for parts and not make it through recess, requiring strong cooperation between the various authors.

In this week's installment of our Flood Policy series we'll take a look at the nuts and bolts of good flood policy.

Part III: The 2007 Flood Package: Flood Priorities Worth Fighting For

During the Governor's recent guest appearance on the MTV show "Pimp My Ride," he praised the show's crew for outfitting a '65 Chevy Impala with an 800 horsepower bio-diesel engine.

With the set of remaining flood bills, the Legislature is primed to deliver an equally "pimped out" flood protection and control plan for California to the Governor this fall. But we're not talking about upholstery and paint colors. Here's what a successful flood management strategy for California must do:

Incorporate flood management into state and local land use decisions. Landscape-scale flood control tools such as flood bypasses or flood easements can help take the pressure off of the state's aging levee system while also providing protection for wildlife habitat and agricultural lands. Assemblymember Wolk's AB 5 and Senator Machado's SB 5 both call for increased use of innovative flood management options.

Ensure that new developments have adequate flood protection. In order to protect lives and property from flood risk, land use planning should reasonably consider flood risk. AB 5 (Wolk) and AB 162 (Wolk) are bills which currently address this issue.

Clarify the roles and responsibilities of state and local agencies in flood protection. Flood waters transcend political boundaries, and a successful statewide flood plan must clearly outline how different agencies share the responsibility for managing floods. Senator Machado's SB 5 highlights this important need.