Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday announced his revised budget proposal will include $492 million in funding to help protect Californians from ongoing flooding impacts in the Central Valley and throughout the state.
The one-time funding will support at-risk communities, including those in the Tulare Basin, respond to the impacts of this year’s winter storms and better withstand future flooding.
“California is facing unprecedented weather whiplash — we just experienced the driest three years on record, and now we’re dealing with historic flooding,” Newsom said. “Our investments must match this reality of climate-driven extremes. We’re committing even more resources to support communities up and down the state as they continue responding to the impacts of this year’s storms.”
The Governor’s May revision of the budget, which will be announced Friday, invests $290 million in new flood proposals:
• $125 million to support preparedness, response and recovery related to the 2023 storms — funding shifted from drought contingency to flood contingency to address the weather whiplash California is facing;
• $75 million to support local flood control projects;
• $25 million to expand the current California Small Agricultural Business Drought Relief Grant Program to provide direct assistance to eligible agriculture-related businesses that have been affected by the recent storms;
• $25 million for potential additional disaster relief and response costs in this fiscal year to address immediate impacts;
• $40 million for the San Joaquin Floodplain restoration.
The $290 million is on top of the governor’s January proposal of $202 million in flood investments to protect urban areas, improve levees in the Delta region and support projects in the Central Valley — bringing total flood investments to nearly $500 million.
The governor’s budget also includes proposed legislation that codifies provisions from recent executive orders that allow for the safe diversion of flood flows for groundwater recharge purposes. These provisions would make it easier to capture floodwater to recharge groundwater by setting clear conditions for diverting floodwaters without permits or affecting water rights.
Also on Thursday, the governor announced that the state will fundraising the Corcoran Levee in the Tulare Basin, which is key to protecting critical infrastructure, including large correctional and medical facilities, and public safety for the immediate surrounding communities. This marks the third time the state or federal government has intervened to raise the levee.
Due to over-pumping groundwater, the ground beneath the levee has subsided. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made repairs to the levee in 1969 and again in 1983. The state’s funding will allow the local flood control district to raise the levee to 192 feet.
The state’s funding will be contingent upon locals' ability to meet a set of criteria to ensure the work is done efficiently and at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers.