SACRAMENTO, California, October 15, 2007 (ENS) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed legislation that will strengthen flood protections in California by creating the framework for the development of a comprehensive Central Valley Flood Protection Plan.

The law signed October 10 creates a new 200 year flood protection standard for urban development in the region.

The legislation will also reform the Reclamation Board to improve efficiency and require cities and counties to increase consideration of flood risks when making land use decisions.

"I have always said public safety is my number one priority, and the package of bills I am signing today will tremendously strengthen flood protection in California," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"California's Central Valley has thousands of miles of levees protecting millions of residents and we expect millions more in the coming decades. We want to make sure the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina do not happen here if there is an earthquake or other natural disaster," he said. That is why we will establish 200 year flood protection as the standard for urban developments in the Central Valley so our growth will be safe growth."

"Last year, Californians made the commitment to invest nearly $5 billion to secure our levees when we passed Propositions 1E and 84. Today's bills are the next step in ensuring a safe future for our state," said the governor.

In May 2006, the governor signed AB 140, the $4 billion levee repair and flood control bond element of the Strategic Growth Plan that California voters approved to fund urgent repairs and essential improvements of levees and other flood control facilities in the Central Valley and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

These funds will also leverage federal and local dollars to fund flood prevention projects and improve disaster preparedness.

He also signed AB 142 that appropriated $500 million from the general fund to the Department of Water Resources for levee evaluation and repair.

In February 2006, the governor declared a State of Emergency for California's levee system and ordered the California Department of Water Resources develop a plan to begin immediate repairs to prevent catastrophic flooding and loss of life.

The governor's emergency declaration allowed state agencies to begin repair work immediately by fast-tracking state environmental permits and utilizing emergency contracting procedures. As a result and with funding from AB 142, thirty-three of the most vulnerable levee sites in Northern California were repaired.

Meanwhile, in a related issue, the state Senate Wednesday defeated legislation by Senate President pro Tem Don Perata, an Oakland Democrat, to place a $6.8 billion water bond on the February 2008 ballot.

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 2008 would provide funds for water supply reliability, delta sustainability, conservation and pollution cleanup, protection against invasive species, groundwater protection and water quality, and water recycling. At least 50 percent of the costs would be shared by local agencies.

The measure fell four votes short of the necessary two-thirds majority required for passage. No Republican voted to support the measure.

Perata said, "We cannot ignore this problem. Recent federal court decisions will translate into water rationing in the Bay Area and Southern California next year if we do nothing. It's time to act now, and I'm disappointed Republicans don't recognize this."

Cities around the Bay Area face the possibility of mandatory water rationing next year as a result of a federal court decision August 31 to protect a rare fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the Delta smelt.

The decision could cut by up to a third the amount of water drawn from the delta. Environmentalists maintain that the giant pumps used by the State Water Project and federal Central Valley Project suck in smelt to their deaths.

Those water systems redistribute delta water to parts of the Bay Area, the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.

The Safe Drinking Water Act of 2008 would provide funding to safeguard the supply of clean drinking water for homes, businesses and farms and improve conservation.

Perata vowed to put the measure on the November 2008 ballot.

"This is too important to give up on," Perata said. "We've spent seven months crafting this bond, and the broad support behind it demonstrates the quality of this legislation."

The legislation has attracted support from across the spectrum of water interests - from urban water districts, such as the Metropolitan Water District, to environmental groups, such as Friends of the River.

Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2007. All rights reserved.