Crews bracing for more possible Cosumnes River levee problems as another weather system moves in
SACRAMENTO COUNTY – Authorities who oversee 34 miles of levee in the Wilton area are looking at a record-setting year for rainfall.
They're also nearing record-setting amounts for levee repairs – and reeling with the thought of even more.
At the Reclamation District 800 meeting on Wednesday, board members and first responders were ramping up to be ready for another round of storms
"We're looking to have two to three engines manned and staffed, ready to go for any similarities to what happened [in January]," said Capt. Fabian Morales with Wilton Fire.
The Wilton Fire Department was reaching out to volunteers to provide backup for their three full-time personnel.
"As of this morning, I put out the call and we've been getting text messages and emails [for] volunteering to come in Friday and Saturday," Morales said.
The Cosumnes River is expected to crest at 14 feet early Saturday morning, officials say.
"It's getting repetitive. Two of these in a row in less than two months," said RD-800 board member Leland Schneider.
Schneider is watching the Cosumnes River closely. He expects overtopping and worries there could be worse, depending on how high the rain goes.
"They're looking at this as no joke," Schneider said.
RD-800 has spent nearly $6 million in emergency temporary repairs this year – hauling in rip rap, gravel and dirt to repair several levee breaches and roads distressed by constant truck traffic.
"The work that we've done is pretty incredible," Schneider said.
The work hasn't stopped, and even more is on standby.
Schneider expects the river to run at 40,000 cubic feet per second this weekend, nine times what it typically does, creating dangerous conditions downstream.
"There's a lot of levees that haven't been repaired. There's a lot of levees before you get down to the Delta that are in trouble," Schneider said. "There's going to be water places it shouldn't be."
RD-800 authorities say they saw the second-highest river levels in recorded history over New Year's Eve.
