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County staff warns of likely El Niño, urges maintenance agreements and emergency planning
Summary
County staff showed GIS maps and cited a NOAA forecast that raised odds of El Niño this summer; staff urged agencies to finalize routine-maintenance agreements with Fish and Wildlife, consider emergency declaration options and coordinate funding and mutual-aid arrangements for potential flooding.
County flood-control staff told commissioners they are preparing for elevated flood risk after a recent federal forecast and urged agencies to finalize maintenance agreements and contingency plans.
Denise, a county flood-control staff member, said a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on April 6, 2026 projects about a 61% chance of El Niño conditions developing this summer and roughly a 25% chance of a stronger event by 2027. She used a GIS map showing stewardship boundaries for waterways and proposed meeting individually with agency partners to clarify which agencies maintain which reaches ahead of potential catastrophic flooding.
Staff reported the county had received four routine maintenance agreements from the state and is finalizing others with Fish and Wildlife. The goal discussed was a programmatic agreement covering roughly 1,000 linear feet annually and routine coverage for work within 200 feet of bridges; staff said tribal consultation letters and other reviews remain part of the permit process. Because programmatic agreements and permit reviews can take months to complete, staff also said they are exploring emergency-declaration procedures that the board could use to authorize urgent work on at least one site (Sand Creek), noting that emergency declarations may carry stiff penalties if not coordinated with permitting agencies.
Commissioners and staff also discussed capacity constraints and funding: the county’s routine contracting limit of $75,000 was flagged as insufficient for some flood-response work, though mutual-aid arrangements or district-led contracting could expand the available spending. Staff mentioned the California Conservation Corps as a potential partner to help with on-the-ground work. On existing projects, staff said grant timing and federal reimbursements remain uncertain — some FEMA-funded projects have been paid intermittently while others remain outstanding — and the county is compiling a spreadsheet to reconcile approved work, outstanding reimbursements and funds actually received.
What’s next: Staff proposed follow-up agency meetings to finalize maintenance boundaries, and commissioners asked staff to put a FEMA‑process update on a future agenda. The commission did not approve new funding at the meeting; staff described these measures as planning and coordination steps pending final agreements and grant or reimbursement decisions.
