Lake County works to remove low levee ratings

LAKE COUNTY -- Inspection findings from a nearly two-year-old report have left several levees ineligible for emergency federal aid. 

Two Clear Lake levee systems received minimal acceptance and four others were rated unacceptable by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). 

Personnel from the Sacramento District of the USACE inspected and rated the levee systems in the Middle Creek area, maintained by Lake County Watershed Protection District and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), on June 28 and 29, 2011. 

Results from the inspection determine levee systems' continued eligibility for the Corps' rehabilitation and inspection program, its authority to provide federal assistance for flood fighting and repairing levees damaged by floods or storms.  Systems rated unacceptable are ineligible for aid until their deficiencies are corrected.? 

Lake County Department Water Resources (LCDWR) Director Scott De Leon said his staff was not made aware of the inspection until the afternoon of March 21, 2013, the day before the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB), its sponsor agency, received the final report at a meeting. 

"Considering the ramifications of having our levees deemed inactive immediately, one would have expected some communication from the Corps prior to the day before the meeting," De Leon stated in a letter to CVFPB Executive Officer Jay Punia. 

A levee can receive a rating of acceptable, minimally acceptable and unacceptable, which gives it an inactive status. 

Sacramento District?Senior Public Affairs Specialist Chris Gray said the Corps informs the members of the CVFPB ahead of time of inspections, who should then relay the information to the maintaining agency; however, De Leon said that never happened. 

"Notification of the presentation to the CVFPB was our indication there were significant issues with our operation and maintenance of the project," stated a letter by De Leon to Colonel William J Leady, of the USACE. 

The most serious deficiencies throughout the systems were encroachments, according to a release by Gray.  Unacceptable vegetation was noted during the inspections. 

De Leon said in a phone interview the inspection was done several weeks prior to regularly scheduled maintenance that removes unwanted vegetation. 

He also said the California (DWR) has conducted several inspections since the Corps', none of which have raised any red flags. 

"This opportunity to participate in the inspection process and to repair any deficiencies prior to the release of the report was not afforded to Lake County," stated the letter to Leady. 

Once the maintenance problems have been corrected, Lake County may request a re-inspection of the levee systems, and regain active status. 

"We are addressing the unacceptable ratings, and have sent a re-inspection request for two of the three county-maintained systems to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board to remove the unacceptable ratings where we've already made repairs," said Tom Smythe, LCDWR water resources engineer. " We're actively working to remove the third unacceptable rating from its system." 

Berenice?Quirino?is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing.  She can be reached at 263-5636, ext.  36 or at bereniceq@record-bee.com.