California Water Code

§ 1242.3

WAT § 1242.3 Effective Jul 10, 2023Div. 2 · Part 2 · Ch. 1 · Art. 4

Statute text

(a)The Legislature finds and declares as follows:

(1)California’s central valley has one of the highest flood risks in the United States. Recognizing this risk and in response to the Court of Appeal decision in Paterno v. State of California (2003) 113 Cal. App.4th 998, in 2007, the Legislature enacted the Central Valley Flood Protection Act of 2008, which along with other provisions requires the projected impacts of climate change on the State Plan of Flood Control to be included the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan and each five-year update to the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan.

(2)According to the 2022 Update of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, by 2072, climate change is predicted to increase peak floodflows up to five times in the central valley compared to past recorded events, and the anticipated peak flows by 2072 will only exacerbate this risk unless urgent action is taken. Climate change science predicts that atmospheric rivers will become stronger and wetter, increasing their potential to cause catastrophic events that could overwhelm many parts of the current flood system, if improvements and other strategies are not implemented.

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Legislative history

Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 51, Sec. 27. (SB 122) Effective July 10, 2023.