San Joaquin County River Levels Expected To Remain High
STOCKTON (CBS13) — High water levels along rivers and in reservoirs are keeping emergency management teams on alert. Flooding in San Joaquin County has already caused millions of dollars worth of damage.
Bill Lindstedt is finally getting the chance to walk back into the Manteca Sportsmen Club, a shooting range that was complete underwater after recent storms hit Northern California.
"Well, this year was pretty bad," he said.
The heavy rain caused massive flooding that left the club several feet underwater. The owners were forced to close their doors. Even their neighbors had to abandon their property.
"It's been a big problem out here for a while," said Lindstedt.
More than two months later, most of the area is still flooded. The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services estimates the damage to be around $13 million and doesn't include the crops lost by local farmers.
"We are not out of the clear. We are just starting another danger period with the snow melt," said Michael Cockrell, director of San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services.
Areas along the Mokelumne River and the San Joaquin River are being watched closely. There are also crews patrolling parts of the Delta 24-7.
"We are threatened to the north, to the east, and the south due to river systems, and to the west because of the inland delta, the tilde flow also threatens our levees in the delta. So, all around us, we are threatened by water," he said.
The county continues to try and get as much federal assistance to help people deal with the flooding. Meanwhile, property owners have taken steps to save their land.
"Sandbags, yes. All we can do is take it day by day. It's nature of living by the delta," said Lindstedt.
County officials say there is funding available to protect levees with on-going maintenance and monitoring.
