Bond Act: Proposition 1E
Agency of Appropriation: Department of Water Resources
Bond Statute: 5096.821
- Front-end
- In-progress
- Follow-up (Audit)
The Delta Levees System Integrity Program receives funding from both Proposition 1E and Proposition 84. The program is a continuation of the original `Way Bill` Delta Levee Subventions program enacted in 1973 that was later revised in 1988 to become the Delta Flood Protection Program. Through updated legislation in 1996 and implementation as a CALFED program in 2000, the program evolved to implement the goals of the CALFED Levee System Integrity Program (LSIP).
This local assistance program appropriates funding to local reclamation districts in the Sacramento--San Joaquin Delta to maintain and improve levees. The program consists of two major sub-components, both administered by the Department of Water Resources (DWR): the Delta Levees Subventions Program and the Special Projects Program. The Delta Levees Subventions Program is administered by DWR for the Central Valley Flood Protection Board, formerly known as the Reclamation Board, and offers an annual grant of funds to Delta districts for levee maintenance and improvements. The Special Projects Program implements local assistance to districts that protect water conveyance and water quality in the western Delta and designated areas of the Suisun Marsh, and funds habitat improvement projects to help meet mitigation and enhancement requirements associated with the enabling legislation.
The bond expenditure criteria for the Delta Levees Subventions Program were established through long-standing procedures developed and updated by DWR under the approval of the former Reclamation Board. Bond expenditures in the near term will continue to be made in a manner consistent with Water Codes Sections 12300-318 and 12980-995 and the CALFED LSIP goals and objectives. Most Special Projects’ resources will be spent on the eight western Delta Islands, and to protect Walnut Grove and Thornton to meet directives originally set by the Water Commission. It is anticipated that new direction and goals may be developed based on the findings of the Delta Risk Management Strategy (DRMS), which was completed in 2008.
Projects selected for funding under the Delta Levees System Integrity Program are required to spend grant funds according to the approved project scope and budget. DWR, or their agent, requires quarterly progress reports for all projects and conducts site visits during construction for each development project. Payment requests must include a certification by the grantee that each expense complies with requirements outlined in the work agreement. Grantees must also submit supporting documentation for each expense, with reimbursements approved only for eligible expenses pursuant to program guidelines and those contained within the approved project budget. DWR also withholds up to ten percent of each payment request to be released upon project completion.
The financial status (expenditures and commitments) will be tracked at the project/grant level in the Department’s financial system, known as SAP. The Department will utilize “funded program numbers” and structured “internal order cost objects” to track detailed information down to the individual projects or grants. The use of these elements within SAP will enable the Department to also track multiple funding associated with a single project or grant. However, expenditures of funds not controlled by the Department will be tracked by the managing agency.
The public will be made aware of project details, costs, and status through the bond accountability website. DWR will also report quarterly to the legislature on its expenditures for Proposition 1E projects as well as Capital Outlay projects as required by the Proposition 1E bond language and the Supplement Report of the Budget Act of 2007, respectively.
All projects funded by this program shall receive a close-out visit conducted by DWR, or their agent, at the time the project is complete and prior to releasing final grant funds. The purpose of the close-out field visit is to ensure all project components were completed according to program guidelines and the terms of work agreements, including project scope and budget. 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.
The Natural Resources Agency will obtain an independent audit of the bonds through the annual Department of Finance, Office of State Audits and Evaluations (OSAE) audit of bond expenditures.
Projects within this Program: