Sutter Basin Flood Management

Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency

Client

Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency

Services Provided

Project Duration

2008 – Present

Overview

Project Summary

Providing oversight consulting for the flood management programs of Sutter County, Yuba City, and the newly formed Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency (SBFCA).  Activities include:

  • Serving as Agency Engineer for SBFCA
  • Coordination with FEMA on their floodplain mapping efforts, including filing of appeals, protests, and improved BFE maps for the 4 major basins of Sutter County
  • Assisting the local agencies with strategy development, formation of the SBFCA, public outreach programs, Council and Board briefings, and funding strategies.
  • Coordination with DWR on their Prop 1E – funded levee investigation program.  Was successful in convincing DWR to investigate the entire 70-mile Sutter Basin levee system under DWR’s “Urban Investigations” program, rather than only the five miles adjacent to Yuba City.  This increased DWR’s expenditures for the basin from $1 million to $14 million.
  • Coordination with DWR and Levee District 1 on a successful $16.3 million Early Implementation Grant bid (Prop 1E) for the $20 million Star Bend setback levee project.  This was a LD1 grant submittal, but SBFCA, Sutter County, and Yuba City had significant roles, including Board/Council resolutions, funding of the local share, preparation of several grant package sections, and fulfillment of several grant requirements related to Federal crediting and Federal approvals.  Construction is expected to begin in January 2009.
  • Coordination with the USACE on the Sutter Basin Feasibility Study.  The study had been halted since 2006 due to exhaustion of funds, and PBI worked with the USACE and DWR to amend agreements for completion of the study and develop funding at the local, State, and Federal level.  A Project Management Plan was developed which incorporates some innovative ideas for fast tracking the study and launching design/construction before completion of the study.  As a result, the study is underway, scheduled for completion in 2012.  PBI is assisting with on-going project management, technical review, and execution of several technical H/H tasks, including Sutter Basin FLO-2D floodplain mapping, Cherokee Canal HEC-GeoRAS modeling, Sacramento River System HEC-RAS hydraulic modeling, and regional floodplain mapping. 
  • Coordination with DWR for Prop 13 grant.  A Proposition 13 grant is being used to fund much of the local share of the USACE Feasibility Study. Approximately $600,000 has been spent to date, and PBI is working with DWR to get another $2.05 million under contract at present.
  • Coordination with DWR for Prop 84 funds.  DWR directed funds from Proposition 84 to fund its share of the Feasibility Study.  
  • Preliminary design of improvements to the Feather River west levee in Sutter and Butte Counties. Work involved design of alternatives, oversight of geotechnical consultant, cost estimating and selection of a preferred alternative for consideration by DWR for funding through the Early Implementation Program (EIP) and use in a proposition 218 local assessment district election.

Program Management of the 44 mile, $300M Feather River West Levee Project, which will provide 200-year protection to the urban and urbanizing communities of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, and Yuba City.  Work includes preliminary planning, technical work for successful proposition 218 election which raised $70M for the project, strategic work and documentation to secure $230M in DWR EIP capital outlay funds, establishment of design hydraulics, interior drainage analysis, and benefit cost analysis. PBI is program manager overseeing engineering design, geotechnical, environmental, and right of way teams.