The City of Sacramento’s Department of Utilities is scheduled to begin maintenance work on several levees and critical waterways located throughout the city over the next few weeks.
Many of these sites are part of the City’s flood-control system, said Bill Busath, director of DOU. The work, in advance of winter rains, will occur Sept. 4-Oct. 8 in five locations. In some areas, cleanup will further address imminent and significant public safety hazards. Additional sites and repair work may be added in the future as needed.
The first location to receive maintenance will be Lower Morrison Creek in south Sacramento (from Franklin Boulevard to approximately Cosumnes River Boulevard), with the work occurring Sept. 4-10. The levee surrounding the creek is designated as a United States Army Corp of Engineers project that DOU is responsible for maintaining.
“This work is vital to keeping our city safe from flooding,” Busath said. “As the wet season approaches, we need to perform maintenance to the levees as well as to service roads, which are critical during flood-fight activities,” Busath said. “DOU also will be re-armoring areas under bridges and clearing debris that can cause a flood risk during high-water events.”
In coordination with its newly formed Office of Community Response, the City will notify any campers in the areas a week in advance of when the maintenance work is set to start so they can temporarily move from work sites. For Lower Morrison Creek, notification began Aug. 28.
The Office of Community Response is working with local outreach providers to visit the sites and connect people with services that can help them during this time. For example, healthcare assistance is being offered as well as support for people who are veterans.
“Our goal is that everyone is informed about what is going on regarding this critical safety work and what resources they have available to them for assistance,” said Bridgette Dean, interim director of the Office of Community Response.
