RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Three years after the January 2023 Cosumnes River floods upended its finances, Reclamation District 800 is finally beginning to see relief while still confronting the limits of a small assessment district responsible for aging levees.

In recent meetings, the district reported that millions of dollars in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state reimbursements are now being applied to debt, completed another emergency levee repair, and advanced several critical planning efforts, including a review of an Army Corps of Engineers levee study, development of a formal Emergency Action Plan, and revised flood-warning thresholds tied to the Michigan Bar river gauge.

Reclamation District 800 maintains and repairs 34 miles of privately owned, mostly earthen levees along the Cosumnes River, extending from Rancho Murieta to Freeman Road off Dillard Road in Wilton and Freeman Road off Grant Line Road in the Sheldon area. The levees provide approximately 10-year flood protection and are funded through an assessment district that generates just over $550,000 annually. After the January 2023 storms, the district borrowed about $6.5 million to fund emergency levee repairs and currently owes approximately $7.9 million to the Bank of Stockton.

FEMA Money Reduces Storm Debt

For the first time since the January 2023 floods forced RD 800 to borrow heavily for emergency levee repairs, FEMA reimbursements are now being applied to reduce the district’s debt.

At the Jan. 15 meeting, district engineer Patrick Ervin reported that more than $4.37 million in FEMA funding was deposited into the district’s Sacramento County levee fund for RD 800 in late December, followed by a California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) payment of about $264,000 in early January.

Perla Tzintzun-Garabay, the district’s contract accountant, explained that once the FEMA and Cal OES funds are received, the county treasurer automatically notifies Bank of Stockton and calls in outstanding warrants, starting with the oldest debt first. The district does not control how the money is applied; repayment occurs automatically as funds become available.

Additional reimbursements are still pending. Ervin said Cal OES approved a local cost-share waiver for a second FEMA claim, meaning the state will cover the remaining 25 percent – about $320,000 – that otherwise would have been the district’s responsibility. He also reported that the district has submitted a FEMA management cost claim of approximately $191,000 for administrative and staff time related to the flood response, though FEMA is behind on processing those claims.

The FEMA and Cal OES reimbursements stem from extensive emergency and post-storm repairs following the January 2023 atmospheric river event, which caused multiple levee breaches, widespread erosion and prolonged flooding along the Cosumnes River. RD 800 borrowed about $6.5 million to fund emergency response and repairs during and after the storm, contributing to the district’s current debt load.

In addition to FEMA and Cal OES funding, RD 800 has already received significant reimbursement through the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS covered 75 percent of the cost – about $2.5 million – for two fast-track levee repairs at Fig Road and Lee School House Road. Cal OES paid the remaining 25% local share for those projects, reducing the amount the district needed to finance for those emergency repairs.

Emergency Repair Completed after Heavy Rains

During the January meeting, Ervin updated the board on an emergency repair to address severe waterside erosion along approximately 200 feet of levee south of the Folsom Canal, on the Sheldon side of the river. Erosion near a waterside slope weakens the levee’s ability to resist flood pressure, increasing the risk of slope failure or internal erosion during high water.

The board met briefly on Jan. 4 to declare an emergency. The trustees approved a not-to-exceed $180,000 contract with Asta Construction, above the original $145,000 estimate, to account for potential complications.

The contingency was needed because wet conditions and loaded rock trucks damaged the levee road, so crews had to bring in additional ballast rock to stabilize the road and keep trucks from getting stuck. The work took between Jan. 5 and Jan. 9.

The emergency declaration expired before the January meeting.

Corps Study Bolsters Funding Case

At the Dec. 18 meeting, Ervin presented an overview of the recently completed Army Corps of Engineers levee review, which he said largely confirmed what the district already knew about its system.

“It’s a lot of stuff we already knew,” Ervin told the board, citing sandy levees, persistent seepage and erosion issues, and multiple locations that overtop during large flood events. He said the Corps’ findings contained “no surprises” but carry significant weight because of the agency’s role as the national authority on levee safety.

The Corps’ primary recommendations include developing a flood-specific Emergency Action Plan, providing flood-fight training for staff and landowners, improving levee access and operations, and continuing targeted erosion repairs.

Ervin emphasized that having these deficiencies formally documented by the Corps gives RD 800 stronger leverage when seeking state funding from the Department of Water Resources.

Emergency Action Plan

Discussion of a formal Emergency Action Plan featured prominently at both meetings, reflecting its status as the Corps’ top recommendation.

In December, Ervin said the district needs an EAP that clearly defines triggers for actions such as levee patrols, emergency declarations and evacuations, tied largely to river stages at the Michigan Bar gauge and observed conditions. He acknowledged the difficulty of setting those triggers, noting that “meteorology isn’t a perfect science,” but said the district “really needs one of these” plans.

By January, the board took concrete steps toward implementation, approving work with Wagner & Bonsignore to develop the EAP, with consultant Brenna Howell (of Rancho Murieta) serving as a subconsultant. The not-to-exceed $30,000 contract will be funded from a state grant and is intended to improve coordination with Sacramento County, Cal OES and local fire agencies during flood events.

Michigan Bar River Gauges

Both meetings also included extensive discussion of flood stage definitions at the Michigan Bar river gauge, a critical monitoring point for RD 800 and partner agencies along the Cosumnes River.

Ervin reported that Sacramento County and the California-Nevada River Forecast Center asked the district to review proposed flood stage thresholds and provide local input. The agencies’ initial framework identified minor flooding at 12 feet, moderate flooding at 16 feet and major flooding at 18 feet.

Board members said those thresholds did not match real-world impacts. Based on recent flood history, particularly the January 2023 event, directors said flooding begins earlier. At about 10 feet, water begins moving toward Green Road and nearby fields. By 12 feet, flooding becomes more widespread, and roads such as Green Road and portions of Dillard Road can be overtopped. The January 2023 flood peaked at roughly 16.5 feet, a level the trustees described as clearly “major,” with multiple regional road closures leaving Wilton and Rancho Murieta effectively landlocked.

The board agreed to recommend redefining flood stages as minor at 10 feet, moderate at 12 feet and major at 16 feet, with 18 feet and above considered catastrophic. Ervin said the agencies were receptive to revising the thresholds, which are expected to be incorporated into the district’s Emergency Action Plan.

Topographic Survey

Both meetings also included a discussion of the need for a detailed topographic survey of the levee system, particularly along the North Levee.

Ervin explained that while the Corps study relied on LiDAR and limited ground checks, it did not produce a full ground-based survey with regular centerline elevations and cross-sections. A professional topographic survey would provide precise data on low spots and weak sections, supporting future repairs, emergency response and long-term planning.

In January, Ervin said the district is working with NorthStar on a proposal to survey the North Levee. The work would be funded from state grant monies, which he cautioned are beginning to run low.

Niello-Secured Grant

All of the district’s recent planning work has been funded through a $500,000 state grant secured in 2023 with assistance from State Sen. Roger Niello. District officials said the grant paid for engineering time associated with the Army Corps of Engineers levee study and is now funding development of the Emergency Action Plan, the planned topographic survey of the levee system and other flood-preparedness and planning efforts, allowing RD 800 to advance long-term planning work without drawing on assessment revenues.