Valuing Central Valley Floodplains – The Center for Resource Efficient Communities UC Berkeley
Authors:
Louise Mozingo, William Eisenstein
Tags:
California, Central Valley, connected floodplain, disconnected floodplain, ecosystem service value, federal emergency management agency (FEMA), flood risk, floodplain development, land use value, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), SB 1278, SB 5, U.S. Flood management
Year Published:
2013
Policy Summary
Current California floodplain policies SB 5 and SB 1278 are insufficient to protect our cities, agricultural land, and environments from a potential flood similar to the one that occured in 1997. In fact, the authors argue the at the existence of these policies creates a false sense of security, when in reality additional flood prevention measure should be taken; such as widening the flood basins that already exist. Specifically, changes must be made swiftly because urban sprawl and development is occuring on lands that could be flooded in the future.
