The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback (LEBLS) Project is the first phase of implementation of recommendations from the 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) and associated studies carried out by the Department of Water Resources. The project will contribute to the CVFPP goals of providing improved public safety for approximately 780,000 people by reducing river levels (stages) in the Sacramento River and increasing the capacity of the Yolo and Sacramento Bypasses near the urban communities of Sacramento and West Sacramento, as well as rural communities, Woodland, and Clarksburg. The improvements would also provide system resiliency and opportunities to improve ecosystem functions, such as increasing inundated floodplain habitat for fish rearing, establishing a tule canal, and improving the connection to the Sacramento Bypass Wildlife Area.

The project consists of approximately 7 miles of setback levees in the Lower Elkhorn Basin along the east side of the Yolo Bypass, and the north side of the Sacramento Bypass. The project will remove all or portions of the existing levees that will be set back, remove portions of local reclamation district cross levees, and improve or relocate related infrastructure.

DWR is coordinating closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB) to obtain necessary permits to carry out this project. DWR is also coordinating with local reclamation districts and land use agencies on specific infrastructure relocation and improvements. Some of the infrastructure work will be carried out by local agencies.

A project location map and DWR brochure are provided as attachments A and B to this staff report.