Rock Creek Flood Plain Development

This week, Butte County held more public meetings to discuss the Rock Creek/Keefer Slough Flood Control Project. There was an attorney and about ten property owners in attendance. There were only two environmentalists at the meeting, but that is realistic for the area. It reminds me of Tim's Bousquet's comments in his May 4, 2000 Chico Examiner: "When there's the opportunity to do realistic environmental work in the community, nobody shows up; when an eco-celebrity appears, fifteen hundred arrive for the blessing, which might feel good, but results in no positive good."

Back to the issue of Rock Creek/Keefer Slough, here is a little background. Development has occurred north of Chico in a natural flood plain. People love to live near water and wildlands though this frequently creates major conflicts between human desires and safety and the natural movement of water and wildlife. The County has pressured the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize this area of Butte County for flood protection due to the high waters in the past five years.

The proposed project includes removing gravel, setback levees, flood walls, and possible flood easements. The project could cost between 15-25 billion dollars! The belief is that the federal government will cover 65% of the cost and that the Sate of California will pick up the remaining 35%. Local property owners will have to vote to tax themselves for the maintenance costs of the new system. The environmental review phase of the proposal has not started yet though preliminary studies have been conducted.

Bob Hennigan who lives and farms in the impacted area asked a very appropriate question: what will prevent Butte County from allowing more homes built in areas that flood? The County representatives stated that plan to incorporate new flooding data into their GIS system to flag those areas when future homes are contemplated. What is really needed is leadership in Sacramento and in Congress that would prohibit flood plain development and quit subsidizing it for the profits of a few and at the expense of homeowners and the general public.

This column originally appeared in August 2000 in the Chico Examiner.