Pine Creek Flooding, Concord 1958

By: Mike Carlson Contra Costa County

Deputy Chief Engineer

Are we too late, or is a solution out there?

Disinvestment in Drainage

APWA 2016 PW Conference – November 3, 2016

By: Edric Kwan Town of Moraga Public Works

Director/Town Engineer

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure - City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

We All Live in a Waterhshed

This is a Watershed!

Anatomy of California Water Portfolio

Water Portfolio

Drinking Water Sector

Sanitary Sewer Sector

Stormwater Sector

Quality

Groundwater

Drainage

Flood

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Who is the Flood Control District?

• Special District of the State

• Formed in 1951

• Regional Flood Protection

• Work within Cities

Walnut Creek Flooding Walnut Creek 1958

Walnut Creek Flooding, Walden Road 1958

Contra Costa County Experience Communities in the Flood Plain

Concord and Pleasant Hill 1948

Contra Costa County Experience Communities in the Flood Plain

Post WW II building boom

Five Years Later

Contra Costa County Experience Communities in the Flood Plain

• Post WW II building boom

• 1955/1958 floods galvanized support

Contra Costa County Experience Communities in the Flood Plain

• Post WW II building boom

• 1955/1958 floods galvanized support

• 80% - 90% federal investment

Drop Structure Under Construction

• 79 miles of channels

• 29 detention basins/dams

Regional Flood Protection Infrastructure

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Types of Flood Protection Infrastucture

Marsh Creek Dam, Marsh Creek Road near Brentwood Built in 1962 by USDA Soil Conservation Service

Rodeo Creek Flood Control Channel at San Pablo Avenue in Rodeo Built in 1965 by US Army Corps of Engineers

Types of Flood Protection Infrastucture

San Ramon Creek Drop Structure No. 9 at Diablo Road in Danville Built in 1957 by USDA Soil Conservation Service

Types of Flood Protection Infrastucture

Types of Flood Protection Infrastucture

Wildcat Creek Flood Control Channel at Giaramita St. in No. Richmond Built in 1988 by US Army Corps of Engineers

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Showing Signs of Age

San Ramon Creek Drop Structure, Alamo in 1995 - $500,000 repair cost

Only the County has problems with aging storm drain systems, the cities are all well funded and

everything is in pristine conditions!

Moraga’s Aging Storm Drain System

Laguna Creek Wall Repair & Bank Stabilization Project

• 2005 storm damage • Retaining walls, head

walls, wing walls, creek banks, and the slopes of Laguna Creek washed out and damaged

• Lengthy environmental and approval process

• 2013 Repaired • FEMA Funded • Total Costs $1.1M

Moraga’s Aging Storm Drain System

Calle la Mesa Storm Drainage Repair Project

• 2012 Storm Damage • Sinkhole Developed on

Storm Drain Easement • 2013 Repaired • Cost Share with Lafayette • Total Cost $189K

Moraga’s Aging Storm Drain System

Rheem/St. Mary’s Culvert Replacement Project

• 2016 Vice Mayor reports Sinkhole off roadside

• Challenge finding contractors to repair

• NPDES Funds • Estimated Cost $25K

Moraga’s Aging Storm Drain System

Rheem Boulevard/Center Street Sinkhole • 15’ wide x 20’ long x 15’ deep sinkhole developed at the

Rheem/Center intersection • 96” CMP conveying Laguna Creek damaged • FHWA funding initially denied but now approved • Lengthy environmental and approval process • Projected construction to start 2017 • Estimated Costs $3.3M

Moraga Sinkhole

Moraga Sinkhole

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Stormwater Funding

Current Revenue Sources

• NPDES Funds

• Storm Drain Impact Fees

• Measure K Sales Tax

How our Flood Protection is Funded

Percent of Entire Tax Bill - Based on $500,000 home in Walnut Creek

$0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500

Pro

pert

y T

ax A

lloca

tion

Bay Area Air Quality: $10 = 0.16%

CCC Mosquito Abatement Dist.: $13= 0.21%

County Clean Water: $35 = 0.57%

County Flood Control: $46 = 0.75%

BART: $55 = 0.88%

EBMUD Water: $78 = 1.3%

East Bay Regional Parks: $188 = 3.0%

CCCSD Sewer: $472 = 7.6%

City of Walnut Creek: $536 = 8.7%

Fire/Emergency: $670 = 11%

County General Fund: $779 = 13%

Schools: $3305 = 53%

Society’s Investment in Stormwater

Annual Costs Based on $500,000 home/family in Walnut Creek

$46

$360 $472

$750

$1,440

$1,800

$2,400

Co Flood Garbage Sewer Water Cab/Ph/Net PG&E Cell Phone

State Expenses Comparison

CA Natural Disasters Damages

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Severe Weather Earthquake Wildfire Flood

Mill

ions

Source: Cal EMA 10 year Disaster History, 2013

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Contra Costa FCD, $1 Billion Investment 1951 – 2010

$-

$5

$10

$15

$20

$25

$30

$35

$40

$45

$50

1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Mil

lio

ns

Federal

State/Local

Adjusted to 2010 dollars

Infrastructure Replacement Need based on 75 year service life

1954 2010 2029 2085

$1 B

illi

on

Infrastructure Investment Capital Replacement

$2.4

Bill

ion

Infrastructure Age at 2020

0-25 years, 4%

26-50 years 59%

50+ years 37%

Lets look at the whole State - DWR Report Findings

• $50 Billion needed for identified and developed projects

• $100 Billion needed for known problems without developed solutions

• 1 in 5 Californians live in a floodplain

• $570 Billion in structures at risk of flooding

Alhambra Creek Flooding, Downtown Martinez 1997

Pine Creek Flooding, Market at Belmont, Concord 1958

From the State Report, Contra Costa County Facts

40,000 residents live in a floodplain

Contra Costa County Facts

• 40,000 residents live in a floodplain

• $48 Million crop value in floodplain

Byron Flooding 1958

Wastewater Treatment Plant Adjacent to Grayson Creek

Contra Costa County Facts

• 40,000 residents live in a floodplain

• $48 Million crop value in floodplain

• $4.9 Billion value of buildings in floodplains

Overview

• Intro - your Speakers

• Understanding your Flood Control District

• The Contra Costa Experience

• Aging Infrastructure City and County

• Funding for Drainage

• Fiscal Realities

• Next Steps

Stormwater Funding

Future Funding Initiative

• 2015 Adopted Storm Drain Master Plan = Determine Needs

• 2016 Community Priority Survey = Community Support

• 2016 Town Council Goal = Political Support

• Successful Measure K = Community Trust

• Next Step Feasibility Study = Determine Funding Initiative

Contra Costa County Example

• 2012 Clean Water Funding Initiative

• Property related fee

• Ballot sent to all County property owners

• Process time: 1 ½ years

• Cost: $1.5 million

• Outcome: 60% “No” votes

Current Water Portfolio

Drinking Water Sector

Sanitary Sewer Sector Stormwater Sector

Quality

Groundwater

Drainage

Flood

Water Utilities

Cities, Counties, Flood Control Districts Wastewater Utilities

Rate Structure No Rate Structure Rate Structure

Voting Exempt Voting Required Voting Exempt

218 1996

= Voting Requirements

Any property related fee or charge requires approval of a majority vote of property owners or two-thirds vote of electorate in the service area except fees or charges for sewer, water, and refuse collection services.

• Stormwater fees/charges are property related fee, but are not “water” or “sewer” for purposes of the exemption.

• Fee or charge cannot exceed “the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel.”

Stormwater Funding Solution….A state wide solution.

• Goal: Provide “utility” status for stormwater with a process to raise revenue similar to water districts and wastewater districts

• Need a Constitutional Amendment approved by the legislature (67% vote) to establish a ballot measure

• California voters will decide whether stormwater should have “utility” status (50% vote)

• Local Control: Each local government agency/area, if desired, goes through a political process to establish a “Stormwater Utility” and adopt a stormwater fee

Current Status

• Coalition working on Constitutional Amendment

• Aiming for 2016 election

• Concept expanded to include:

– Stormwater

– Conservation Rates

– Lifeline Rates

Groundwater Supply

Title is……

Regional Flood Protection

Stormwater

Stormwater Quality Community Drainage

San Ramon Creek Flooding Walnut Creek 1955

Same Location Today

Same Location w/o Flood Protection

For more information: www.cccounty.us/FCDreports