Contra Costa County Grand Jury
• 2015-2016
• Agency Response
Reclamation District No. 2065 (veale Tract)*
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F18, F19, F20
Findings and Recommendations 10 findings
F4
The levees in the County's portion of the Delta have been built up or otherwise strengthened on a piecemeal basis over the century or more of their existence. Position: Agree
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
After identifying the necessary funding, reclamation districts should consider adding a "training module" for new and re-elected Board members to their required governance training (i.e. Brown Act and Ethics). This "module" or session should cover the district's levee regulations and protocols, the consequences of noncompliance with regulations and protocols, flood preparedness, and emergency A. . . . . . response training - or at minimum a "back to basics" session with the consulting engineer to cover these concerns. Position: The recommendation is being implemented in substance without a "module" as such. We understand that preparation of an emergency response video for general use is underway. For multiple owner Districts levee regulations are typically in place. Ethics training mechanisms are in place. Brown Act Requirements are a matter of oral instruction typically by counsel for the District. The Special Districts Association provides comprehensive training for Boards of public agencies which is available to the Trustees of Reclamation Districts.
F5
Because the levees remain vulnerable to natural hazards and human activities, they require constant vigilance - i.e., frequent inspection coupled with timely maintenance and prompt repairs. Position: Agree
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
Reclamation districts should formalize, or at a minimum document, all "Mutual Aid" agreements for future reference as reclamation district personnel change over time. Position: The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. The County is participating in a State grant program to develop Emergency Operations Plans for each reclamation district in the county. The EOPs will document mutual aid agreements. The EOPs are scheduled to be complete .
F11
There is no formal or standardized educational or training resource available to the districts for levee inspection, maintenance, and repair, which can support new levee superintendents or managers • ٠. while they acquire the experience to recognize problems early, learn how to appropriately respond, and learn how to balance environmental regulations with maintenance protocols. Position: Partially disagree. While resources are somewhat limited, the California Department of Water Resources offers flood fighting instruction courses free to government agencies and non-profit organizations. A flood fight methods manual is available in both hardcopy and electronic formats, as well as other publications. A pre-season flood coordination meeting is also conducted each fall.
No recommendations for this finding
F12
Levee management requires recognizing seasonal timeframes and juggling multiple deadlines, including preparing for storm season and the "no-mowing" period, when local bird populations nest, as well as timely application for the subvention and/or special projects funding programs. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F13
Unpermitted encroachments can hinder visual inspection of the levee surface and create new structural weaknesses or potential conduits for seepage. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F14
Education about the potential danger of unpermitted encroachments can be a highly effective management tool for mitigating this type of hazard because increased understanding of the potential consequences of such encroachments can support longer-term adherence to levee regulations and protocols. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F15
Since early recognition of potential trouble spots and prompt repair work are critical to maintaining levee integrity, while resources for levee patrols are limited, the presence of an educated and aware residential population can supply additional eyes to provide the constant vigilance that is crucial to safeguarding the levees. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F16
In addition to permitting procedures and intermittent newsletters, there are other opportunities to educate the public, and especially residents of reclamation districts, about the hazards that can damage or impair the levees. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F17
Explaining the hazards to levees by multiple means at appropriate times -- i.e., just before the start of storm season in the fall - can help to keep awareness at a heightened and effective level. Position: Agree
No recommendations for this finding
F21
Some reclamation districts that are unable to maintain the staff, equipment, and material stockpiles needed for emergency major repairs, rely on informal mutual aid arrangements. Position: Agree ٠. • Section 3 - Required Responses - Recommendations (2-5)
No recommendations for this finding
Additional Recommendations 2
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
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R2After identifying the necessary funding, the County reclamation districts should collaborate in establishing and supporting a shared website, possibly approaching one of the Districts that already has a website to take the lead. This website should include "Best Practices", a calendar of date- or seasonal- specific tasks, such as preparation for nesting season when certain work is prohibited, and dates when Subventions Program applications are due, and a common log of significant levee incidents to identify and track historical trouble spots. Position: The recommendation will not be implemented in the manner suggested because it is not warranted. The District has no full-time staff and a limited number of landowners. The District Engineer is a registered civil engineer with broad representation in the Delta and well acquainted with the procedures for accomplishment of work and applying for assistance. The engineer is well acquainted with the condition of the levees. There are numerous forums addressing levee issues in the Delta in which the District Engineer participates and for which he is paid in part by the District. The additional cost and burden of yet another collaboration is unwarranted. The needs of individual districts are specific to their respective levee systems and communication among the engineers is ongoing. DWR publishes a directory of Flood Officials who can be contacted as to any concerns and information. If the District encounters significant levee threats the State Flood Control Center and the County Office of Emergency Services is to be notified. Efforts are underway to complete Emergency Operation Plans for each Reclamation District in map format that are expected to be posted on the County Office of Emergency Services web site.
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R3After identifying the necessary funding, the County reclamation districts should consider taking turns hosting a short, local, annual conference for all District Board members and staff. Each conference should include an educational presentation on a matter of common interest, such as changes in regulations or levee standards, new technology or procedures for levee work, new sources of funding, and/or most effective techniques for successful grant applications. Position: The recommendation has been implemented indirectly. Many of the recommended activities already occur and would be a duplication of the current efforts of the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the Delta Levees Habitat Advisory Committee (DLHAC), the Central Delta Water Agency (CDWA), the California Office of Emergency Services (OES), the California Central Valley Flood Control Associates (CCVFCA), and the Delta Protection Commission (DPC), which provide many of these services and are available at no cost to all interested parties. Furthermore, this information is generally discussed at the District Board meetings by the District Engineers as changes to the standards, technology or general requirements arise. The effort to coordinate and set up conferences and presentations would be duplicative of services already provided to the Districts and again drain available maintenance funding.
* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.