Bay-Delta Levees

Northern California has 1,600 miles of aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and its watershed that contain the fuel that powers the world’s 6th largest economy – water. Delta water:
• Provides at least a portion of the drinking water for 23 million Californians
• Grows a $31 billion agricultural economy, and
• Serves as an important habitat to 750 plant and animal species.

The vast Delta is home to thousands of Californians who live in 13 cities and five communities within five counties spread over 1,000 square miles, who have built their homes and business and gain their livelihood from its flowing waters and fertile soil.

Key Delta Levee Issues

Levees of the Delta were built after the Gold Rush to reclaim a vast wetland for farming. The levees are fragile and at the mercy of natural and man-made perils. They must be maintained and repaired so they provide security against flooding of homes, farmlands and business that have located in their shadow. And they are a focal point for differing views on how best to satisfy California’s need for reliable water supplies and to safeguard its environment and Delta-sensitive economy.

Delta Risk Management Strategy

Because Delta levees are fragile and so much is dependent upon their integrity, the state and federal governments have joined to develop an analysis of Delta levee risks and assets caused by various impacts, including: floods, earthquakes, subsidence and climate change.

This undertaking is called the Delta Risk Management Strategy (DRMS) and is a partnership between the state Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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DRMS Initial Technical Framework Papers