15-Day Comment Period Opens for Draft List of Funding Awards for Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction Grants, Phase 2
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is pleased to announce a 15-day public comment period for the Small Communities Flood Risk Reduction (SCFRR) Program (Phase 2) draft list of funding awards. DWR released the Phase 2 SCFRR Program Proposal Solicitation Package (PSP) (PDF)on December 5, 2019, to solicit proposals for design and implementation of flood risk reduction projects. The eligibility criteria for Phase 2 funding required that an applicant must have submitted a Phase 1 SCFRR Program funded draft feasibility study to DWR before the Phase 2 PSP application deadline (February 3, 2020). DWR received five Phase 2 applications.
Three out of the five submitted projects have been recommended to receive funding from the $28 million available in grant funding. Below are descriptions of the three projects.
- Franklin-Beachwood – Recommended funding: up to $9,708,638. The Black Rascal Creek Flood Control Project, sponsored by Merced County, would construct a 300-acre detention basin, increasing flood protection from 50-year to 100-year flood levels for over 6,000 residents in the surrounding community, plus an additional 79,000 residents in the disadvantaged portions of the City of Merced. This will result in a reduction in expected annual damages of $21 million and a reduction in annual flood insurance costs to almost 2,000 policies.
- Knights Landing - Recommended funding: up to $15,166,400. Sponsored by Yolo County and implementing levee improvements in the area will increase flood protection from 25-year to 100-year flood levels for over 1,000 residents and contribute to flood risk reduction for the remaining parts of the Knights Landing Basin. Approximately 200 annual flood insurance policies will see reductions in costs.
- Grimes - Recommended funding: up to $3,024,962. This project, sponsored by the Sacramento River West Side Levee District, includes remediation of 1.5 miles of Sacramento River levees and elevation of local residences to increase flood protection from 40-year to 100-year levels for almost 400 residents in the community of Grimes. Additionally, this project will contribute to flood risk reduction for downstream communities in Colusa and Yolo Counties, resulting in a reduction in expected annual damages of $2.2 million and a reduction in annual flood insurance costs for almost 350 policies.
DWR will continue working with the project proponents of the two projects not selected, in the communities of Tudor and Wheatland, to refine their feasibility studies. The refinement of these studies will better position those communities to receive future funding as it becomes available.
Submit comments
The 15-day public comment period began on May 22, 2020, and it will close at 5:00 pm on June 8, 2020. Please submit your comments on the draft awards via email to Nahideh Madankar at Nahideh.Madankar@water.ca.gov.
Or you can submit your comments through postal mail to:
Department of Water Resources
3464 El Camino Avenue, Suite 200
Sacramento CA, 95821
Attn: Nahideh Madankar
For any questions or additional information, please contact Nahideh Madankar at Nahideh.Madankar@water.ca.gov or (916) 574-1459.
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