MARYSVILLE, Calif. -- Senior officials from the city of Marysville, Yuba County Water Agency, California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District broke ground Sept. 20 on construction to strengthen the 7.6-mile long Marysville Ring Levee here.
Standing atop a weak levee on the northeast side of Marysville where the first construction phase will occur, U.S. Rep. Wally Herger, Marysville Mayor Bill Harris and Yuba County Supervisor John Nicoletti praised the Corps of Engineers, Department of Water Resources and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board for their commitment to beginning this levee strengthening project, initiated in the wake of the 1986 Yuba County flood.
When this four-phase project is complete, Marysville will be one of the few cities in California's Central Valley with more than a 250-year level of protection, meaning there is a one-in-250 chance for flooding in any given year. This is expected to greatly reduce the risk of flooding to Marysville's 12,700 residents.
"This groundbreaking begins to mark the fulfillment of a process that began over twenty years ago. We are here today entirely because of the dedication and unprecedented efforts of the local citizens and local agencies who have worked so hard for so long to make this project a reality," Herger said. "During that period, Marysville was again struck by flooding in 1997 that served as a tragic reminder of the urgent need to improve flood control in the Yuba-Sutter area. Despite the many challenges, this community and its leaders never gave up the cause; they just rolled up their sleeves and continued working to improve the safety of this area.
"We still have a long way to go, but this ground breaking represents an important step forward in providing Marysville one of the highest levels of flood protection in the entire Central Valley. This project will play a major role in continuing to make Northern California such a great place to live. I look forward to continuing to work to see the full completion of this historic project," Herger added.
This first phase of the project, a collaboration by local, state and federal agencies, is funded largely by $10.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 dollars.
"Reducing this storied city's flood risk is a priority mission for the Corps of Engineers," said Col. William Leady, commander of Corps' Sacramento District. "It's important to understand, though, that while we will have significantly reduced the risk when this work is done, it's not a guarantee of safety. Living behind levees comes with inherent risk and we all have a shared responsibility in reducing that risk as much as possible."
Leady also emphasized that the Recovery Act funding that helped to push this into construction is doing exactly what the legislation was meant to do - creating jobs, infusing money into the economy, and improving our nation's infrastructure.
In recent years, the Corps has completed extensive planning, design and engineering studies of the Marysville Ring Levee. Based on these analyses, the Corps' multi-year project will fortify weak sections of the ring levee. The total projected cost for all four construction phases is $75 million dollars.
"The Marysville Ring Levee project is a true example of how local, state and federal efforts can combine to create lasting benefits and protection for local communities at risk of flooding in California," Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin said. "DWR is proud to be a partner in reducing the flood risk for Marysville, and is committed to seeing this project through to completion. It is a priority for the Department and we're pleased construction has begun."
More than 4,000 feet of the levee on Marysville's northeast side will be strengthened during phase one, scheduled for completion in November 2011. The top eight feet of the levee will be removed before a 105-foot-deep seepage cutoff wall is installed in the center of the levee. The cutoff wall will help prevent water from seeping through the levee. The levee's top will be replaced after the cutoff wall is installed, and its sides will then be widened, adding further stability.
"This is a great day for the people of Marysville," Harris said. "Stronger levees will ensure this city can begin to fulfill its promise as one of California's great cities with a much lower flood risk."
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