RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Preliminary planning is underway to repair approximately 300 feet of levee erosion between the Jackson Highway Bridge and the north end of the Rancho Murieta Airport runway after Reclamation District 800 trustees approved survey work and funding for a new access ramp during their May 21 meeting at the Wilton Community Center.

Trustees also learned that sheriff’s deputies recently removed a homeless campsite from a district levee off Meiss Road east of the Sloughhouse Kitchen, a topic of added interest as concerns about homeless encampments have also surfaced in the Rancho Murieta area.

RD 800 maintains approximately 34 miles of levees along the Cosumnes River from Rancho Murieta through Wilton and Sheldon. The district is still paying off debt incurred during the devastating January 2023 storms while continuing to address erosion, flood-prevention projects and other maintenance needs along its levee system. The levees provide flood protection for agricultural lands, homes, businesses and public infrastructure within the district.

The Rancho Murieta erosion problem was first reported by Trustee Leland Schneider during the board’s April meeting. Schneider told fellow trustees he had discovered a section of levee that was being steadily eroded by river flows, even though the Cosumnes River was running at relatively modest levels.

At the May meeting, district engineer Patrick Ervin said approximately 300 feet of the waterside levee slope has been damaged. The erosion is located on the right bank of the Cosumnes River between the Jackson Highway Bridge and the north end of the Rancho Murieta Airport runway.

Trustees approved $7,825 for North Star Engineering to survey the erosion site and gather information needed to prepare repair plans. Ervin said the work will be completed at the same time as a larger levee centerline survey already planned by the district, reducing costs by avoiding a separate mobilization.

The board also authorized up to $25,000 to construct a new ramp to the levee, allowing trucks and heavy equipment to reach the erosion site.

Ervin said Schneider identified a source of free fill material from infrastructure work at The Residences of Murieta Hills development. Veerkamp Construction has agreed to truck the excess dirt to the site and stockpile it at no cost to the district for use in building the ramp.

Initially, the ramp will consist of compacted dirt. Ervin said the district may later surface it with rock to provide all-weather access, either as part of the erosion repair project or before the next winter season.

Ervin said the access improvement would benefit the district beyond the current project. 

“Right now in a flood situation, if we have to get over there to the other side by the airport, we couldn’t get there,” Ervin told trustees.

Although the erosion is not considered an emergency, Ervin said the district hopes to complete repairs this summer if it can obtain permits in time.

Ervin said the best scenario would be for the project to qualify under the district’s existing maintenance agreement with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, potentially requiring only state approval. While the approximately 300-foot repair exceeds the length normally covered by the agreement, he said regulators have granted variances for similar straightforward projects in the past.

If federal permitting becomes necessary, Ervin said the district may still qualify for exemptions or streamlined approvals through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Ervin expressed optimism that the project’s simplicity could work in the district’s favor. 

“There’s no endangered anything. I mean, there’s nothing out there. It’s just dirt and weeds. There are no elderberries, thank God,” he told trustees.

Maintenance Supervisor Trevor Dosh reported that sheriff’s deputies had recently removed a homeless campsite from a levee off Meiss Road east of the Sloughhouse Kitchen.

Dosh said he discovered several vehicles and a campsite on district property but chose not to approach the occupants after observing a gun on a table. 

“I didn’t even ask them to leave,” Dosh said. “Straight up, I called the deputies.”

According to Dosh, the campsite included tarps strung between vehicles, substantial amounts of trash and a water heater. He said the occupants were smoking while camped on the levee, raising concerns about a possible grass fire.

Deputies ultimately cleared the site.

Ervin reported that consultant Brenda Howell has prepared a draft Emergency Operations Plan and that revisions are underway. 

Once completed, the district will begin work on a flood contingency map identifying evacuation routes, known levee trouble spots and other information needed during flood emergencies.

The Emergency Operations Plan was one of the recommendations made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers following its review of the district’s levee system.

The board also received an update on outstanding FEMA reimbursements related to the January 2023 flood response.

Ervin said approximately $235,000 in FEMA management costs remains in “pending award” status. FEMA officials have indicated that the claim requires additional review due to its size, but no timeline for payment has been provided.

RD 800 borrowed approximately $6.5 million following the January 2023 storms to fund emergency levee repairs and flood-response activities. By January, outstanding debt had grown to about $7.9 million after additional borrowing and financing costs. Since then, millions of dollars in reimbursements from FEMA, the California Office of Emergency Services and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have been applied to the district’s debt.

According to the district’s May finance report, the outstanding balance has now been reduced to approximately $3.7 million.