Store floods on the floodplains. That's the way the rivers do it, and we should follow their lead. It's time for a change. Building big new expensive dams and levees isn't the answer. California needs a comprehensive flood management strategy that will minimize loss of life and property, save taxpayer dollars and protect and restore important and valued natural environments and landscapes.
Floods are part of the dynamic nature of healthy rivers.
In fact, floods and high flows are needed to cleanse rivers of accumulated debris, build streambanks, import gravel for salmon and steelhead spawning, thin riparian forests and create riverine habitats. Restore to a meaningful extent the historic capacity of rivers and their floodplains to better accommodate flood waters by setting back levees to widen the floodway - the river channel during high flows. Increase wetland and riverside forest habitat within the widened river zone. Increase the use of planned floodplain flooding to reduce downstream flood peaks. Strengthen existing and properly sited levees at high risk, which protect high value floodplain uses that cannot be relocated from the floodplain.