This story is taken from Sacbee / Opinion.
Everywhere flood experts look in the Central Valley they find the same problems that plague the levees of Natomas.
Many of these levees are a century old and built on foundations of sand. When the rivers run high, water flows underneath these levees. Too much flow, and the levees could collapse.
Because local, state and federal flood agencies were diligent in investigating these problems, the federal government last year declared that Natomas no longer met minimum standards for flood protection. In a post-Katrina era, it won't be the last Central Valley area to earn this distinction. As flood engineers continue their investigations and update flood maps, dozens of valley communities and hundreds of miles of river levee will no longer have "100-year flood protection." As that happens, the status of thousands of square miles of property will be thrown into question.
Because the stakes are so high, the decisions of the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be crucial in coming months. Natomas will be a test case. Communities nationwide will be watching to see how FEMA administers its regulations in one of the deepest and fastest growing floodplains in the country. Congress and taxpayer groups will also be watching, since the agency's actions could either increase or decrease the liabilities faced by the National Flood Insurance Program.
One certainty in Natomas is that property owners will be required to purchase flood insurance. Beyond that, FEMA has several options: It could ban new development in Natomas, or limit building to infill and elevated structures until Natomas' levees are upgraded. Or it could adopt a more lenient A-99 designation for Natomas, which would impose no land-use restrictions.
Not surprisingly, Sutter and Sacramento counties and the city of Sacramento have lined up to ask FEMA for the more lenient designation. Because of congressional intervention, FEMA granted this same designation to Natomas back in the 1980s, when the basin's levees were last found to be deficient. Then and now, landowners, developers and city leaders opposed federal building restrictions, even though those restrictions are designed to protect life, property and federal taxpayers.
Back in the 1980s, the precedent of granting the A-99 designation was made less egregious by the city's decision effectively to suspend housing construction in Natomas until the levees were upgraded. This time, there's no sign local governments plan to adopt similar restrictions. Indeed, there are strong signs that both counties and the city plan to approve thousands of homes even during this vulnerable period.
Much has changed since the 1980s. Hurricane Katrina revealed the horrific cost of deep flooding, and recent court decisions have made state taxpayers increasingly liable for levee breaks. While a building moratorium would do nothing to help protect the 67,000 people who now live in Natomas, it would ensure that the city isn't adding to the risk of life and property while the levees are being worked on.
Given the city's stance, FEMA must act in the national interest and limit new development in Natomas. It should do the same in any flood basin that doesn't meet a minimal level of flood protection.
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