Levee upgrades begin final phase in Sutter County
(FOX40.COM) — The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency broke ground on a vital flood mitigation project on Wednesday, just south of Yuba City. The improvements aim to protect both residents and local agricultural land.
The Tudor Flood Risk Reduction Project is the final one-point-six-mile stretch of the 44-mile Feather River West Levee Project, which provides 100-year flood protection for nearby rural areas and 200-year protection for urban areas.
'The impetus to get this… levee improvement project going was not only public safety, but the protection of important assets,' said Marc Boomgaarden, SBFCA Board Chair and Vice-Mayor of Yuba City.
The $18 million project finalizes levee improvements that began back in 2013. Michael Bessette, Executive Director of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, said, 'It really completes what we told the public we were going to do. We were going to finish up this job along the Feather River West Levee.'
In 2007, Senate Bill Five was passed, requiring flood protection measures to be in place by 2025 to continue issuing building permits. However, the Feather River West Levee is currently experiencing through and under seepage. The SBFCA is now working to correct those issues.
'We're rectifying those deficiencies by primarily constructing a cutoff wall,' said Bessette. 'Then we'll build the levee back up to the existing height, as it was before we started.'
This improvement phase is entirely locally funded, avoiding federal funding cuts that are currently affecting the connecting Sutter Bypass East Levee Project.
'The voters agreed to tax themselves to fund the improvements,' said Boomgaarden.
These repairs will protect not only thousands of residents from floods but also protect valuable agricultural land that this region relies on.
'This is one of the best ag growing areas in the world,' Boomgaarden explained. 'There's a lot of people who have a stake in this.'
The Tudor Flood Risk Reduction Project is expected to be completed by next fall. After that, work will move to a 17-mile stretch along the Sutter Bypass to bring 100-year flood protection to the basin.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
How does ICE know who to deport?
( — A sudden presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in cities across the nation has prompted curiosity about how the agency knows where to go and who to arrest or deport. • California governor requests troops to leave LA amid escalating anti-deportation protests ICE is a federal law enforcement agency tasked with arresting, detaining, and removing aliens who are illegally present in the United States, according to its website. Aliens or illegal immigrants are defined as people who are in the U.S. illegally. 'If you're in the U.S. for any period of time — an hour, a month or 50 years — without being admitted or paroled, or for any length of time after your authorized period of stay expires, you're illegally present,' ICE said. ICE protests turn violent in downtown L.A., local officials blame Trump ICE uses a variety of tactics to identify, track, and deport illegal immigrants. Here are a few known tools used by ICE. • Databases: According to the National Immigration Law Center, ICE has access to databases such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, the National Crime Information Center Database, and gang databases. Whenever a non-citizen's information is run through those systems, it can trigger ICE to locate and arrest them. • Mobile Biometric Devices: Sometimes, ICE agents in the field will work with local police and use mobile devices to take biometrics such as fingerprints or photos of people they encounter, often profiling people based on how they look or act, according to NILC. They also rely on facial recognition systems owned by local police agencies. • Surveillance: ICE agents are trained to use surveillance that includes loitering around homes and places of work, according to the Immigration Defense Project. They will also question friends, family, neighbors, and employers. Additionally, IDF said they are known to peer into windows. • Local Law Enforcement: Sometimes, ICE will send a formal request to a law enforcement agency or correctional facility that has custody of a 'potentially dangerous alien.' 'Many public officials recognize that partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities help keep American communities safe,' ICE said. When a law enforcement agency honors a detainer, it notifies ICE before releasing a 'potentially dangerous alien.' ICE's federal law enforcement officers then take that person into custody. • Self Deportation: Currently, ICE is advising people who know they are illegally in the U.S. to self deport. 'If you're illegally present in the U.S., you can leave at any time,' ICE said. 'You don't have to wait for ICE officials to find, arrest, detain, and remove you. You can plan and organize your affairs. If ICE officials arrest you, there's no going back — you may not have time to get your affairs in order, gather your belongings, or even say goodbye to the people you care about.' ICE added, 'You do not need to turn yourself in to an ICE office if you intend to self-deport. You may simply leave the country. If ICE arrests you because you didn't turn yourself in, the agency will detain and remove you, and you may have to spend several months in detention while you're awaiting removal.' • Ruses: According to IDP, ICE agents are known to visit homes of potential illegal immigrants and lie about who they are and what they want to obtain information and make arrests. The goal is reportedly to lure an individual into a public space or gain permission to enter the home to see if that individual is there. Once ICE agents visually identify the person they are looking for they can complete their goal of identifying and arresting the person. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘I would do it': Trump says he would arrest Newsom
( — President Donald Trump said he thinks California Gov. Gavin Newsom could be arrested following border czar Tom Homan's suggestion that he would have state officials, including Newsom, arrested if they obstructed immigration enforcement efforts. 'I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great,' Trump told reporters, according to The Hill. '…Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing. Look, I like Gavin Newsom. He's a nice guy. But he's grossly incompetent.' Newsom said the threat was a step toward authoritarianism. 'The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,' Newsom posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.' The sparring comes amid protests in Los Angeles over raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers. In response, the White House deployed the state's National Guard to the city. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday afternoon that the state is suing the Trump administration. 'President Trump's order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive,' Attorney General Rob Bonta said. 'Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President's authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We're asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.' In a press release about the suit, Newsom noted that Trump and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have previously voiced opposition to moving the National Guard in a state without a governor's approval. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
SF fountain that divides public opinion to be fenced off
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A controversial fountain along San Francisco's waterfront has been ordered closed off from the public. The Vaillancourt Fountain across from the Ferry Building at Embarcadero Plaza is being fenced off in the interest of public safety, according to city officials. A representative with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department told that a recent report had made it clear that the fountain, in its current state, is a potential hazard. 'The Vaillancourt Fountain was designed for people to interact with,' an official said. 'This report made it clear that is no longer safe.' Two Bay Area restaurants named among 'world's best' by prestigious global ranking According to a Rec and Parks official, parts of the fountain are 'cracked, corroded, or missing,' including a key support rod in one of the structure's arms. The fountain also contains hazardous materials like lead and asbestos. 'As a result, we are fencing it off,' a parks official said. People will still be able to view the fountain, but not to walk through it or get close to it. Installed in 1971, the Vaillancourt Fountain divides public opinion. Fans of brutalist architecture and preservationists have defended the 710-ton sculpture, which has been inactive as a fountain for the past year due to a pump failure. Recently, plans were unveiled for a $30-million renovation of the Embarcadero Plaza and adjoining Sue Bierman Park. The fountain was not pictured in renderings for the planned renovations. Armand Vaillancourt, the Canadian artist behind the fountain, visited SF last month to try and urge city officials to preserve the structure. Parks officials maintain that the report will have no impact on long-term plans for the future of Vaillancourt Fountain. 'This step is strictly about ensuring public safety,' officials told KRON4. 'It doesn't impact the timeline or scope of the broader Embarcadero Plaza and Sue Bierman Park Renovation Project.' Parks officials maintain that long-term decisions regarding the fountain's future will follow public process established by the San Francisco Arts Commission, including review from the Visual Arts Committee, and will include opportunities for community impact. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.