Bond Act: Proposition 84
Agency of Appropriation: Department of Water Resources
Bond Statute: 75032.5
Implementing Statute: Sections 79035 - 79044 and 79044.9 in Article 2.5 of Chapter 5 of Division 26 of the Water Code
- Front-end
- In-progress
- Follow-up (Audit)
The Flood Corridor Program is funded by the "Safe Drinking Water, Clean Water, Watershed Protection, and Flood Protection Act” (Proposition 13), the “Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality & Supply, Flood Control, River & Coastal Bond Act of 2006” (Proposition 84), and the “Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act of 2006” (Proposition 1E). The program is administered by the Department of Water Resources Division of Flood Management and provides grant funding for flood risk reduction projects with an agricultural and/or environmental benefit. Eligible activities include acquiring rights-of-ways for flood corridors, construction of levees for corridors and bypasses, conservation of agricultural land and wildlife habitat, relocating or flood-proofing structures, and mapping flood hazard areas. Rules and guidelines for allocation of program funds were developed and vetted through a public process in accordance with the bond statute and applicable legislation. The Flood Corridor Project Evaluation Committee reviews complete and eligible applications using the evaluation criteria contained in the funding guidelines. Projects are then selected for funding based on a competitive scoring of the submitted application. Funding guidelines and additional information for the Flood Corridor Program are available on the Department of Water Resources website.
Projects selected for funding under the Flood Corridor Program are required to spend grant funds according to the approved project funding agreement, which includes scope, schedule, and budget. The Department of Water Resources` staff verifies compliance with required environmental review laws and ensures required permits are in place before authorizing project work to begin. Both annual and periodic progress reporting is required for all projects, and staff may conduct site visits to verify project progress. Grantees must submit supporting documentation for each expense, with reimbursements approved only for eligible expenses pursuant to program guidelines; such reimbursements are limited to the approved project budget. The Department of Water Resources may withhold up to ten percent of each payment request to be released upon project completion.
All projects funded under the Flood Corridor Program must submit a final report to the Department of Water Resources documenting project activities, costs and funding sources, and results in relation to the initial project goals. The report 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 grantees must comply with all current laws and regulations which apply to the project and submit documents summarizing total project costs and all additional funding sources. In addition, the grantees must establish separate accounting records for each project and maintain their records sufficient to properly reflect the amount and disposition of all project funds, including State funds, interest earned, and any matching funds.
Section 12832 of the California Water Code provides for a final audit by the State Controller’s Office of the claims received and reviewed by the Department of Water Resources. After the Department of Water Resources determines the eligible costs, ninety percent of the claim is paid to the local agency, and ten percent is withheld pending the final audit by the Controller’s Office. Once the Controller performs the final audit, any balance due to the local agencies is paid as soon as funds are available. The Department of Water Resources works closely with the Controller’s Office to ensure timely audits of the claims.
The Department of Water Resources also works closely with Department of Finance to ensure accountability and projects financed under Propositions 84 and 1E have been posted to the Bond Accountability Website so the public is provided readily accessible information on how proceeds of State general obligation bonds are being utilized.
Projects within this Program: