The State Plan of Flood Control encompasses a vast flood management system with 1,600 miles of levees, weirs, dams, and other infrastructure that has historically developed since 1917, impacting flood management across more than 2.2 million acres in California’s Central Valley from Red Bluff to Fresno.
The State Plan of Flood Control is a descriptive document that details the infrastructure and operation of the state-federal flood management system that includes 1600 miles of project levees, five major weirs, four dams, six pumping plants, floodways, bypasses, and drainage facilities. SPFC infrastructure influences flooding and flood management on more than 2.2 million acres in the Central Valley that stretch from Red Bluff to Fresno and includes facilities within the Delta.
The State Plan of Flood Control facilities consist of numerous projects along the mainstem and tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers that have been built incrementally over the years since the project was first federally authorized in 1917.
However, it is important to note that the State Plan of Flood Control facilities are only a portion of a larger flood control system; other non-SPFC facilities work in conjunction to provide flood protection. For example, upstream reservoirs regulate flows to levels that SPFC facilities can manage; private levees and locally operated drainage systems work in conjunction with SPFC facilities; and emergency response, floodplain management, and other management practices are all part of the overall flood protection system.
DWR and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board are the primary State agencies that oversee and manage the State Plan of Flood Control. The Central Valley Flood Protection Board develops the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, which guides the State’s participation in managing flood risk in areas protected by the State Plan of Flood Control (SPFC). The Central Valley Flood Protection Plan is updated every five years and includes an update to the State Plan of Flood Control. The last update was in 2022.
This page last updated on August 17, 2024.
