Landowners speaking out about efforts to rebuild levee storm-caused breaks and breaches along Cosumnes River
SACRAMENTO — Officials are watching around a dozen breaks or breaches along the Cosumnes River and using a lull in the rain to repair what they can.
But it likely won't be enough, given projected floodwater levels along the Cosumnes River.
Cathy Aronson took us for a tour of the levee along the back of her property in Wilton. The New Year's Eve storm resulted in multiple breaches and two breaks along the river that have been flowing for days.
Video shows floodwaters rushing in around Aronson's barn last Saturday night. She was trapped with water rushing in all around her.
"It was very high. Never in all of my life of living in this section of the river, have I seen the devastation we've had now," she said.
Aronson weathered a similar storm in 2007.
"We chose to repair our levees in 2007 on our own with our own funds," she said.
Back then, her late husband, a contractor, repaired more than a half mile of earthen levee himself. Sacramento County said private property owners are responsible for repairing levees.
Neighbor Brian Takemori has also rebuilt the levee on his farmland.
"We have all we can handle and more," he said.
He's doing it again after a levee breach last weekend was more than 2,000 feet wide.
Reclamation District 800 is spending more than $1.5 million to fill that hole. That's three times their annual budget. But more rock will be needed. With several atmospheric rivers on the way, they have asked the Department of Water Resources and FEMA for emergency funding.
"But now they just forgot about us. We've talked to them and talked to them and talked to them and asked and asked and asked,"
Crews can't even reach the levee break upriver on the backside of Laguna Del Sol resort due to standing water. The water is draining financial resources and manpower.
"There's more water and it rises much faster,"
Locals say more development in the foothills and not enough river management are to blame.
"We've never been able to clean it out completely and let the water have the room to go,"
All everyone can do now is watch and wait to see what the water will do.
Aronson is part of Reclamation District 800 which mobilized late Friday afternoon to repair her levee, and they will be paying for it. It's part of what she pays every year to be a part of the district.
