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Solano County Asks State to Allocate $1.25 Million to Improve Flood Protection for Rio Vista

The Board of Directors for the Little Egbert Joint Powers Agency (LEJPA) applauded action by the Solano County Board of Supervisors to request $1.25 in state funding to improve flood protection for the City of Rio Vista.

The county’s action was based on a joint request made by LEJPA and Rio Vista, which are partnering to reduce flood risk to the city. If approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the funding will be utilized to conduct investigations to improve Mellin Levee and adjacent levee facilities north of Rio Vista. 

“This funding will help accelerate an important element of enhancing flood protection for the Rio Vista community, as identified in the 2020 Flood Control Feasibility Study,” said Rio Vista Mayor Ronald Kott. “We appreciate the county’s action and our working partnership with LEJPA to explore effective, cost efficient and sustainable solutions to the flood system deficiencies identified near the Mellin Levee.” 

“The county’s action will not only assist in initiating important flood system improvements for Rio Vista, but it will advance work on the Little Egbert Multi-Benefit Project,” said Richard Harris, Board Chair for LEJPA. “Mellin Levee is a shared boundary between our agencies, so improving this levee and adjacent facilities is a shared priority to help enhance flood protection north of Rio Vista and reduce flood risk in the lower Yolo Bypass and Cache Slough complex.” 

Funding for the Mellin Levee improvement work would be provided under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding between Solano County and DWR. Under the terms of the MOU, DWR agreed to allocated $5.1 million through various funding programs to perform improvements, repairs and other necessary work on levees in the Cache Slough region of Solano County.

Along with funding for the Mellin Levee work, Solano County requested that DWR allocate funding for three other levee improvement projects in the Cache Slough region. Projects were identified through the local regional planning effort highlighted in the Lower Sacramento /Delta North Regional Flood Management Plan in collaboration with local flood management entities in the Yolo Bypass region.