SACRAMENTO, CA - Following the flooding and damage caused by wet weather across California last winter, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order that will streamline levee repairs and debris removal. It will leverage the over $500 million of the 2023–24 state budget committed to support flood response and projects.

This will help local communities recover from flooding and prepare for the next wet season and is the latest action on behalf of the state to protect communities and conserve water after record rain and snow.

The executive order will leverage the more than $8.6 billion committed by Governor Newsom and the Legislature in the last two budget cycles to build water resilience, a release explained. It will expedite critical levee repairs and remove debris left in river channels that exacerbate the risk of flooding next winter.

Additionally, the order also:

• Applies to emergency levee repair and debris clearing impacted by this past winter’s storms, including the San Joaquin River and tributaries, the Tulare Lake Basin and tributaries, the Salinas River and tributaries, the Pajaro River and tributaries, and other coastal streams between the Pajaro River and the Ventura River
• Suspends certain laws, regulations, and criteria in existing orders—conditioned on agencies complying with specified environmental and resource protection requirements—for emergency levee repair and debris removal projects
• Includes a number of common-sense conditions to protect the environment and natural resources, drawn from the existing regulatory expertise at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Water Resources, and the Water Boards

This action comes after California announced $17.2 million to fortify the Corcoran Levee. In February and March of this year, Governor Newsom also issued executive orders to capture rain and floodwater for groundwater recharge, reservoir storage, and more.

After several critical California ag regions faced flooding and crop damage this past winter, hopefully, these preparations will be effective in mitigating issues in the coming year.

To learn more about Governor Newsom’s executive order, click here.

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