State Auditor Warns of Unacceptable Levee Maintenance in Central Valley

A state auditor warned that nearly a third of local agencies maintaining flood control levees in parts of the Central Valley are performing unacceptable routine maintenance. The audit urged the state’s Department of Water Resources to take over maintenance when local agencies fail to do so. State water managers pushed back, arguing that the audit overlooks the complexities of flood management and that taking over maintenance would cost tens of millions of dollars upfront.

The audit warns that inadequate maintenance increases the risk that aging earthen embankments fail, endangering over a quarter-million people and buildings valued near $40 billion. The state department stated that the high upfront cost of assuming maintenance must be weighed against other investments that may yield greater risk-reduction benefits.