1911 Reclamation District No. 1000 was created April 8, 1911 by
a Special Act of the Legislature to provide agricultural drainage,
flood control and levee maintenance. The District is situated on flat
terrain in northwestern Sacramento County and southwestern Sutter
County. It includes approximately 55,000 acres of which 38,000 are in
Sacramento County and the balance in Sutter County. The basin is
relatively flat with an elevation range of approximately 10 feet – 40
feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD) of 1929. More than 90
percent of the land in the basin is between elevations 10 feet and 25
feet. (ErwinH)
Ref: http://www.rd1000.org/html/history.html
1914-15. The Natomas East Main Drainage Canal (NEMDC), now
called Steelhead Creek, and constructed by Reclamation District No.
1000, changed the course of Dry Creek, Arcade Creek, Magpie
Creek, Robla Creek and NEMDC Tributaries F, G and I. (ErwinH)
1929 . A small dam located in Rio
Linda on Dry Creek was constructed by the Whipple family to divert
irrigation water. (ErwinH)
Ref: "Dry Creek's First Dam" by Lee
Whipple, Spring 1993.
1944 Folsom Dam Authorized: The Flood Control Act of 1944
authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to build a dam on
the lower American River. Completed in 1956, Folsom Dam was originally
designed to provide in excess of a 500-year level of flood protection. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1955 estimate. Magpie Creek Diversion Channel and Robla
Creek south levee constructed to protect an area in Robla and Del Paso
Heights that was not developed. The storm water that use to go
through Robla and Del Paso Heights and enter the NEMDC about where
Interstate 80 Crosses the NEMDC was now forced into Robla Creek just
east of the bike trail. This caused increased flooding in Rio
Linda just north of Ascot Avenue. The Rio Linda Airport runway
was raised about six feet because of the increased flooding. The
fill necessary to raise the runway created what is now Bell Acqua
Lakes. (ErwinH)
1955-56 Record Flood. A major storm caused flooding after
Christmas 1955. Curved Bridge Road and Cherry lane were under
water for more than a week. Though engineers had been predicting
it would take a year to fill the nearly completed Folsom Dam, the
second record storm filled the dam in a week and Sacramento is saved
from flooding. (ErwinH) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1964 Record Flood. The third record flood in less than 15
years causes engineers to re-evaluate storms frequency. They
conclude the storm Folsom is designed to handle is a 120-year storm not
a 500-year storm. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1964-65 Joe Benvenuti was buying up land in Natomas during the
mid 1960s (1964-65). Three of his brothers played semi-pro
football for me (MelG) and I dated his youngest
sister at that time. I was also pretty good friends with his
brother Sam. I asked Joe why he was buying up swamp and flood
land which was also some of the best farm land in the nation. He
indicated that he would make it valuable through development and get a
good return on his investment. He did not care about the flood
problems or the productivity of the land for farms. Well, he did
make money off the land he bought. And, there is a clear, now
recognized, flood danger. (MelG)
1984
The Placer County Flood Control and Water Conservation District was
established
in 1984 by the State Legislature as a Special District, separate from
county
government, to address flood control issues arising with growth.
This is a 165 page file:
http://www.placer.ca.gov/works/floodcontrol/flood-control.htm
1986 Record Flood. The February 1986 storm dumps
10 inches
of rain on Sacramento in 11 days. The American River dumps more
water into Folsom than it is designed to handle. After 2 days of
releases at the design level, (115,000 cubic feet per second (cfs)),
officials boost releases to 134,000 cfs. Folsom performance
downgraded to about a 60-year storm. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1986 Record Flood. The American River at H Street was at
43.4 feet (0.6 feet above flood stage) on February 19, 1986 . The
Sacramento River at I Street was at 30.68 feet (0.32 feet below flood
stage) at the same time. The low point of Elkhorn Boulevard
between Sixth Street and the Bike Trail before it was raised, was 40.9
feet, only 10.22 feet higher than the water 9.9 miles down
stream. The storm water level at Elkhorn Boulevard between Tenth
Street and Dry Creek Road was 48.7 feet on 2/20/1986. (ErwinH)(ALERT)(CDEC)http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1990. Mr. Angelides and Mr. Tsakopoulos buy huge tracts in
North Natomas on cheap bottom land 20'deep flood plain which County
Supervisors vow should never see construction. (ChrisQ)
1992 The April Dry Creek Watershed
Flood Control Plan from Placer County lists 7 proposed regional
detention basins, page 5-1. As of October 2005, none have been
constructed. (ErwinH) This is a 165 page file: http://www.placer.ca.gov/works/floodcontrol/DryCreekWatershedPlan.pdf
1992 Congress Does not Approve a Dam at Auburn: Six years after
the 1986 flood, the Corps of Engineers recommends a flood control dam
at Auburn. The project is defeated on the House floor.
Levee improvements in North Sacramento and Natomas are approved. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1993 SAFCA Initiates Construction of the North Area Local
Project: Following Congress action in 1992, SAFCA certifies an
environmental document and begins construction of the North Area Local
Project levee improvements to protect North Sacramento and Natomas. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1994 Mr. Angelides loses big statewide race and ends up with
huge debt, which he pays off with chunks of this land in North Natomas
to influential donors. (ChrisQ)
1994 SAFCA and the Bureau of Reclamation execute an agreement to
operate Folsom Dam and Reservoir to take advantage of incidental flood
control provided by upstream water and power reservoirs at French
Meadows, Hellhole, and Union Valley. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1994. SAFCA develops plan to take North Natomas out of the
floodplain by raising the NEMDC Levee. This would cause flooding
in the North Sacramento area, so the Supervisor from North Sacramento
area required them to build up the Robla Creek South Levee all the way
to Dry Creek Road to join the Magpie Creek Diversion Levee then being
planned by the Army Corps of Engineers. This would cause major
flooding in Rio Linda especially near and upstream of Rio Linda
Boulevard. (ChrisQ)
1994 Erwin Hayer read in the Sacramento Bee about a Dry Creek
North Levee. He found out where SAFCA was located and went to
their office to see what was planned. He saw a map on the wall
that had a levee starting just south of E Street on the west side of
Rio Linda Boulevard listed at 45.8 feet. Another levee starting
just west of Dry Creek Road on the south side of Magpie Creek Diversion
Channel at 45.8 feet. Both of these levees continued westerly to
the NEMDC. He talked to some one at the office and they said this
was a preliminary plan and non-were available for the public. I
told them that the Rio Linda Airport runway was raised 6 feet to 42
feet MSL to get it above the flooding caused by the Magpie Creek
Diversion Channel. I also told them that if these levees were
constructed as shown on the map, it could put more than 3 feet of
floodwater on the runway and many homes in the Western Acres and Bell
Acqua Subdivisions are lower than the runway. On the way home,
I stopped at the Bell Acqua Boat shop and informed Bill Mahana.
Phil Todd was also there and informed about the levees. (ErwinH)
1995 Floods. In January 1995, all of the stream sensors on
the Dry Creek and Arcade Creek Watersheds set records for high
water. Both the American and Sacramento Rivers were below the
monitor stage. This was not considered a major storm, even though
major flooding in the Dry Creek and Arcade Creek Watersheds did
occurred. (ErwinH)
1995 SAFCA builds the South levee up, and adds the North
Levee. They did NOT get a permit or even notify FEMA of this
major structure in the flood plain. They went against the City of
Sacramento as well. They also began building up the NEMDC. (ChrisQ)
1995 Minor notifications were sent out by the County to
homeowners at Bell Acqua asking about building a berm along the South
sides of their homes at a cost of about $8,000 to each homeowner.
This was curious as none of the homes were in the floodplain. As
the President of the HOA at the time, I (ChrisQ)
was asked to look into this. Finding a huge problem, I gathered
more support. (ChrisQ)
1995 An alliance with Chris Quackenbush, Erwin Hayer, Janice
Hayer, Charlet Ketcherside and Phil Todd to get legal help and testify
at the SAFCA Board Meetings. We repeatedly showed how they were
flooding a large portion of our properties and endangering the whole of
Rio Linda, but they voted to continue anyway. Roger Dickinson and
all the Board get about 70% of their contributions from a small group
of developers, the same ones benefiting from the taxpayer paid
"improvements" they were making in North Natomas. (ChrisQ)
1996 The Dry Creek Conservancy is a non-profit organization
dedicated to improving the Dry Creek Watershed in Placer and
Sacramento Counties. Organized in 1996, the Dry Creek Conservancy has
worked to educate the public, preserve open space, restore habitat, and
improve recreation for all to enjoy. http://www.drycreekconservancy.org/index.html
1996 The Corps of Engineers again recommends a Dam at
Auburn. The project is rejected in a House committee.
American River levee improvements are authorized. (SAFCA)http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1996 There was an engineering report done for SAFCA to define
who should be in the assessment district. The Rio Linda area was
excluded from assessment because the engineers showed we would be
damaged by their efforts not benefited. We used this report to
help stop their levees and mitigate for the damages they already had
caused. We should NOT stand for assessment to pay for their
damages to US! (ChrisQ)
1997 The fifth record flood in 46 years occurs over the New
Year's holiday. Unprecedented flows from rain and melted snow
surge into the Feather and the San Joaquin. Sacramento is spared
when the fury of the storm hits 40 miles north in the Feather
River. Levee failures flood Olivehurst, Arboga, Wilton, Manteca,
and Modesto. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1997 19 May. A public hearing was held at the Rio Linda
Senior High School by Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency on the Dry
Creek Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for Phase 2.
The hearing was opened at 7:30 PM and one public resident from Cherry
Lane attended. This resident did not wish to speak and the
hearing was concluded at 7:30 PM. This information is from a
transcript reported by Balinda Dunlap, CRS No 10710.
When I
found out about the public hearing a in September 1997, I asked Paul
Deveraux of SAFCA why the Rio Linda Community had not been
notified. He said SAFCA placed a public notice in the Sacramento
Bee about the public hearing and that is all SAFCA has to do. (ErwinH)
1997 We (Bell Acqua Homeowners) formed an alliance with Erwin
Hayer, Phil Todd for lake 1, and the Bell Acqua Apartments to get legal
help and testify at the SAFCA Board Meetings. We (The Alliance)
repeatedly showed how they were flooding a large portion of our
properties and endangering the whole of Rio Linda, but they voted to
continue anyway. Roger Dickinson and all the Board get about 70%
of their contributions from a small group of developers, the same ones
benefiting from the taxpayer paid "improvements" they were making in
North Natomas. (ChrisQ)
1997 I (ChrisQ) went to the
Governor, FEMA, and the State Reclamation Board to stop them. We
wanted them to take down the levee extension and the illegal North
Levee. They would not go that far, but they did agree to limit
the levee to 42' and force SAFCA to mitigate any flooding until it was
done to our approval. In the last Reclamation Board meeting, Phil
Todd split ranks and sold us out for a limit of 42.5' , but other than
that, it was a victory. SAFCA was forced to pay over 300
homeowners for flood insurance until they mitigated for damages. (ChrisQ)
1997 19 September The Reclamation Board approve the Permit No.
16033-A-BD for Robla Creek South Levee to a maximum of 42.0 feet
between Rio Linda Boulevard and the Bike Trail until mitigation for
increased upstream flooding was completed. (ErwinH)
1997 As of November 12, 1997, the levee had been constructed to
an elevation of 45.2 feet from station 89+55 for approximately 120 to
150 feet east. This is part of the Robla Creek South Levee or left bank
levee of Robla Creek and is located between the Sacramento Northern
Bike Trail and Rio Linda Boulevard. The 45.2 feet elevation is in
violation of Special Condition FIFTY-ONE-b of Permit
No. 16033-A-BD,
dated September 19, 1997. SAFCA had the contractor remove the
top
of the levee down to 42.0 feet. See http://riolinda.info/flood/010114Hayer.html(ErwinH) 1998NORTHWARD BOUND by William
Craig, Natomas Journal.
"When the
dust finally settles some 5 to 10 years from now, the Natomas that we
have grown into, the Natomas that is as familiar and comfortable as an
old pair of shoes will be no more!" http://www.natomasjournal.com/natomas-developments.html
1998 FEMA Certifies Increased flood protection in Natomas and
Portions of North Sacramento: Work on SAFCA’s North Area Local Project,
begun in 1993, progresses to the point where FEMA certifies that
Natomas and portions of North Sacramento have 100-year protection and
flood insurance is no longer required. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
1999 Congress approves significant flood control projects,
including enlarging outlets at Folsom Dam, Raising the lowest levees on
the American River, and raising levees along Morrison creek and it’s
tributaries in South Sacramento. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
2000 Sacramento Property Owners Approve a flood control
assessment: Eighty-two percent of Sacramento property owners vote to
impose a new assessment to finance the local match for the flood
control projects approved by congress in 1999. (SAFCA) http://www.safca.org/floodRisk/index.html
2000 SAFCA has completed the mitigation but has not yet settled
with those they damaged in that effort, including me. They stuck
an 80' wide open drainage ditch right in the middle of my property next
to the lake and took large chunks of my land. (ChrisQ)
Summary by Chris Quackenbush:
Sacramento is the worst protected
city in the nation as this same developer was also responsible for the
Pocket area and many other flood risk areas developed in
Sacramento. Their shortsighted policies have resulted in
expensive levees, which WILL fail causing great human suffering and
cost. SAFCA had a chance to support the only real flood control
measures which would work long term, the Auburn Dam. They used
your tax dollars to fight it all the way. Your county supervisor,
Roger Dickinson, voted against you EVERY time. (ChrisQ)
This short history leaves out much intrigue and
betrayal along the way. Rest assured the story is a juicy
one. The bottom line is that you need to stand firm and together
to prevent SAFCA from making you pay for the cost of repairing the harm
THEY did to YOU! (ChrisQ)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION:
(ALERT):
Sacramento County Automated
Local
Evaluation in Real Time stream levels and rainfall.
Sacramento County Municipal Services Agency (MSA)
Department of Water Resources (DWR)
827 7th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 874-6851 http://www.sacflood.org/ http://www.msa.saccounty.net/waterresources/Home.asp
(ChrisQ):
Chris Quackenbush, Former
Resident of
Rio Linda, Former owner of Bell Acqua Boat Sales and Bell Acqua Lake 3.
(ErwinH):
Erwin Hayer, Rio Linda resident
since
1940, Assistant Hayer Dam Operator 1950-1988, Hayer Dam Operator
1989-2002, Chairman of the Flood Committees of the Rio Linda Elverta
Chamber of Commerce, Community Planning Advisory Council and the
Recreation and Park District. http://www.obri.net/eeh/
(MelG):
Rio Linda Resident Mel Griffin
(SAFCA):
Sacramento Area Flood Control
Agency
1007 7th Street, 7th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 874-7606, Fax:
(916) 874-8289 http://www.safca.org/index.html
(USACE):
United States Army Corps of
Engineers,
Sacramento District
1325 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-2922, (916) 557-5100 http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/index.html