California hikes costs for flood protections in farm country

Climate change is worsening the already significant threat of flooding in California’s farm country, and state officials said Thursday that as much as $30 billion may be needed over three decades to protect the region, an increase from five years ago.

Every five years, flood protection plans are updated for the Central Valley, where about 1.3 million people live at risk in floodplains. State officials released a draft of the latest update that calls for investing in levees, maintenance and multi-benefit projects that recharge aquifers and support wildlife while enhancing flood protection.

The investments are necessary to protect a growing region where climate change is expected to worsen the chance of heavy rains and flooding, especially for the San Joaquin river basin.

“Climate change is no longer the future boogeyman that it once was. It's here,” said Kristopher Tjernell, deputy director of integrated watershed management at the California Department of Water Resources.

The cost of maintenance and new construction increased in part due to those changes and a better understanding of what is needed, according to the draft.

The 2017 flood plan update called for $17 billion to $21 billion in investments over three decades. Since that update, about $4.4 billion has been allocated.

The latest draft said the need is now $25 billion to $30 billion over the coming 30 years. Those investments, however, will save lives and property, according to the plan.

The Central Valley is in the state’s interior and includes cities like Sacramento and Fresno. It is also home to a $17 billion agricultural economy. While the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast may be more associated with catastrophic flooding, the Central Valley is at significant risk.

In 2017, severe weather forced officials to...