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Flood Control Facilities Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program


Administrating Agency: Resources Agency
Bond: Proposition 1E
Department Name: Department of Water Resources
Bond Statute: 5096.821
Implementing Statute:

  • Front-end
  • In-Progress
  • Follow-up

The Flood Maintenance Office is developing a Strategic Implementation Plan to tie the goals of its programs to the mission and statutory obligations of the department and to the objectives of FloodSAFE.  The Strategic Implementation Plan, currently in the final draft stage, defines the Flood Maintenance Office’s purpose, goals, objectives, program elements, program components, strategies, priorities, and overall schedule and budget.  It also describes detailed activities and measurable objectives under each of the composite program elements, and provides strategic program direction for the Flood Maintenance Office.  Projects selected for bond funding (as well as those receiving funds from the General Fund) are to be consistent with the Flood Maintenance Office’s Strategic Implementation Plan.

 

Authority

The Flood Maintenance Office maintains portions of the Sacramento River Flood Control Project (Project) to fulfill the assurances provided to the federal government by the State that the Project, which the federal government constructed and turned over to the State for operation and maintenance, will be adequately maintained.  A Memorandum of Understanding was executed in November 1953 between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the State of California that describes the State’s responsibility for maintaining the Project features.

 

The authority for DWR to maintain the Project is included in Sections 8361 and 12648 of the California Water Code.  Project features covered in the authority include river channels, hydraulic control structures, designated levees, and ancillary structures.  Bond 1E Chapter 1.699, Article 4, Section 5096.821 provides for the use of bond funds for the evaluation, repair, rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of levees, weirs, bypasses, and facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control.

 

Maintenance standards that the federal government requires the State to adhere to are described in operation and maintenance manuals that the Corps prepares for each unit of the Project before they turn the completed Project feature over to the State for operation and maintenance.  Additional maintenance and or inspection standards for levees that the State maintains are found in the Code of Federal Regulations Title 33 Section 208.10 Levees, Channels, Floodways and Associated Structures; Corps of Engineers Levee Owner’s Manual for Non-Federal Flood Control Works, March 2006; and Department of Water Resources Vegetation Criteria for Standard Levees, October 2007.

 

Objectives

 

Initially, projects undertaken by the Flood Maintenance Office were based on a backlog of deferred maintenance.  In addition to continuing to work on deferred maintenance, new projects are identified through a number of inspection programs.  These include inspection programs for levees, channels, bridges, hydraulic structures, and utilities.  Inspections are conducted to comply with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 208.10) and the National Levee Safety Program.

 

In addition to complying with maintenance guidelines and manuals developed by the Corps of Engineers, projects undertaken by the Flood Maintenance Office must comply with various permits and agreements from agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Section 404 Clean Water Act and Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Endangered Species Act), California Department of Fish and Game (1600 Streambed Alternation Agreement and Endangered Species Act), Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Encroachment Permit), Water Resources Control Board (401 Clean Water Act), Regional Water Quality Control Board (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit and Waiver of Waste Discharge Requirements), State Historic Preservation Officer (Archeological Resource and National Historic Preservation Acts), Native American Heritage Commission, State Lands Commission, and must also comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.

 

Project Selection

Routine maintenance of levees, channels and hydraulic control structures are performed by crews from the Sacramento and Sutter Maintenance Yards and is funded by baseline allocations from the General Fund.  However, some maintenance activities are beyond the technical capabilities of the Maintenance Yards or require more resources than they can provide.  These non-routine maintenance activities are funded by Proposition 1E funds.  In the past AB 142 funds, Proposition 50 and 84 funds were also used for the non-routine maintenance activities.  Examples of non-routine maintenance projects include rehabilitation of Weir 2 in Sutter County, Sutter Bypass Pumping Plant upgrades, and Knights Landing Outfall Gates control system rehabilitation.

 

 

Projects are selected for funding based on the severity of potential impacts from flooding in incurred high water damage, or operation and maintenance demands placed on Maintenance Yard crews due to existing conditions.

 

Compliance and Reporting

Contracts that are let through the Flood Maintenance Office include contract documents such as plans and specifications that describe what must be done.  Quality control to assure the contract documents are being adhered to is performed by inspectors within the Department as well as hired consultants.  Inspection reports are provided to the project manager to assure the work being performed is in compliance with the contract documents.

 

 

Financial controls include reviewing the scope of the project prior to requesting Proposition 1E and 84 funds to ensure they are eligible for bond funding and having all contracts (and their task orders) for professional services reviewed by General Services and all construction contracting performed by the Division of Engineering to ensure compliance with State contracting procedures.  Once completed, the projects are maintained as part of the flood control system maintenance stipulated in Section 8361 of the Water Code.

The following in-progress accountability procedures have been instituted:

 

·                     A project scope and cost estimate is developed at the initiation of the project that is consistent with the intended use of the bonds. 

·         Monthly briefings are conducted at the Office-level to review progress, including project expenditures, accomplishments, changes in scope, and current schedule;

 

·         Project updates are submitted for inclusion with the quarterly reports that DWR submits on bond expenditures and any changes in scope, cost or schedule are reflected on the website maintained for projects funded by Proposition 1E and 84;

 

·         Bond funding is requested from the Department of Finance based on quarterly cash flow projections provided by the project manager and compiled within the Department for all programs.

 

Project managers track project budgets and schedules.  Project managers work with environmental support staff to ensure that the proper environmental permits have been obtained and permit conditions are met, coordinate with staff from the Division of Engineering to make sure the engineering designs meet the needs of the project, work with the Construction Office during project construction to address any issues that arise and also coordinate with the Maintenance Yards that may be impacted during construction, and provide monthly briefings on project status to the Branch and Office Chiefs.  Project managers may also be required to coordinate with other Divisions for legal, right-of-way and environmental support.  Project managers are also responsible for monitoring and approving all funding sources and payments.  Invoices are approved for contractors and sub-contractors only after all requirements are met.

Untitled

When a project is completed, a Post Construction Report is prepared.  This report summarizes the activities that took place to achieve the project goals.  The Post Construction Report becomes part of the Project Close-Out Report.  The Project Close-Out Report includes all the documents referenced in the Post Construction Report and provides a consistent method to file important project documents following project completion.  The section of the report covering the budget includes a summary of project funding sources, and cost centers and internal order numbers used to track expenditures.

 

The following internal audit is conducted with the Project Close-Out:

 

·         Before the final payment is made, project managers verify the final project complies with all applicable current laws and regulations and submit documents summarizing total project costs and additional funding sources.

 

·         The final project report submitted upon completion of the project must include photographs of the before-project condition, planning and restoration activities and, if applicable, techniques used to achieve restoration, and post-project completion condition.

 

·         All projects doing repair work on levees will receive a close-out visit conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DWR to assure that the project is completed consistent with federal principles and guidelines.

 

·         All projects funded via the Integrated Regional Water Management Grant program receive a close-out visit conducted by the DWR at the time the project is complete and prior to releasing final grant funds.

 

·         Project managers conduct in-progress and post construction/implementation monitoring and assess project performance.


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