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District manager flags river erosion, pump-station ribbon cutting and funding worries ahead of congressional transition
Summary
General Manager Blake updated the board on an erosion site along the Sacramento River that staff are surveying, a ribbon-cutting for the Ybel North pump station, and trustees urged preparing materials for a transition to a new congressional representative amid concern about federal funding support.
General Manager Blake updated Reclamation District No. 900’s board on maintenance work, an erosion site on the Sacramento River, and interagency coordination while trustees discussed preparing for a congressional transition and long-term funding needs.
Blake said crews have begun spring mowing of levees and canals and reported a recent ribbon-cutting for the Ybel North pump station, which project staff and the Army Corps attended. "The project manager and staff that showed up was thrilled," Blake said.
Turning to flood infrastructure risk, Blake described an erosion site the district identified on the Sacramento River and said surveyors were dispatched to determine whether the river had eroded into the levee prism. He said rising river levels after recent storms may have submerged the site again, and that the district will meet with its environmental consultant to outline permitting, mitigation and construction options if the district proceeds with repairs this year. "I'd really like to get that fixed this year, not have to wait through another winter," Blake said.
Board members said the district should prepare for a change in congressional representation and assemble a packet of information for the incoming member. One trustee warned that losing an incumbent champion — identified in discussion as Congresswoman Doris Matsui — could complicate federal funding advocacy. The trustee said staff (Paul) and General Manager Blake will work on a transition packet so the district can quickly present its federal asks to the next representative.
Trustees also discussed long-term operations and maintenance costs that follow Army Corps project handover, including pump rebuild cycles and electrical bills. One trustee said the district receives large monthly electricity bills for pump stations — "we get bills of $20,000 a month for one of our pump stations," the trustee said — and noted the state FMAP program that previously provided assistance had been cut for the current budget cycle.
Blake said he planned to follow up with Cal OES and FEMA staff to seek clarity on outstanding grant and disaster items stemming from the 2023 disaster declaration and that staff will continue surveys and photo documentation of the erosion site ahead of any repair work.
