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Limit construction in flood-prone areas until steps are taken for protection against flooding.

The Sacramento Bee reported today "the proposal suggests that new subdivisions could be approved in undeveloped high-risk areas of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys only if a community has a "reasonable plan" to achieve 200-year flood protection by 2022, or if new residential units are constructed 1 foot above the level of potential 200-year floodwaters."

I support strict limits for new developments on flood-prone lands in California. We cannot afford to let people to build anywhere they want and then afterwards expect society to bear all of the costs of providing protection against flooding. After California voters recently approved massive new funding for flood control it seems that the money will not be enough to provide good flood protection even for existing developments. Plans for flood protection should be in place before any new building permits are issued. California has lots of land that is not prone to flooding, so future developments should be built in those areas.

California governor floats floodplain development curbs - sacbee 06june2007.

More about: River Conservation and Flood Control in California.

Tags: flood, flooding.

Labels: conservation