Crews Working Diligently To Prevent Flooding From Levees
NOVATO (CBS13) — Storm damage has lingered in Novato. Westbound lanes on Highway 37 are shut down after levee breaches led to massive flooding. The Marin County Sheriff's Department says the lanes between Lakeville Highway and the 101 will be closed until at least Saturday morning.
When 75 percent of your rain comes in just three months, you better be ready for it. Local, state, and federal crews are on high alert checking hundreds of levees across the region.
It takes an army to fight flooding in the rainy season.
"We are just helping them fill in with sandbags," said Julio Nadriz with the California Conservation Corps.
These corps members are working hard to shore up this levee on Grizzly Island in the Delta after overtopping there Thursday.
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"So we have asked them to create a slough almost that goes through so water can flow through without affecting the ground there," said Chris Orrick with the Department of Water Resources.
The Department of Water Resources has been surveying water levels and levee conditions all across the region.
"So when we get up to flood stage at the river we have to monitor it 24 hours by driving up and down looking for boils or breaches," Orrick said.
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Thursday night they found a problem spot along Cache Creek.
"We noticed there was a boil so we put a ring of sandbags around it to isolate it. And we'll have to come back and address it when water levels come back down," Orrick said.
They are being vigilant as 11 rivers were above flood stage yesterday. It's gone down to two Friday, but that just means they are prepping for the next rain event.
2016-2017 set records for precipitation. To put 2019 in perspective, the Sacramento area has only seen half the rain this year compared to two years ago.
