High tides and storms damage Solano County levees
The Solano County Office of Emergency Services announced a Local Emergency on Monday due to storm damage to levee infrastructure in the Suisun Marsh and Sacramento San-Joaquin River delta. The announcement follows king tides during mid-December, a release from the OES reads.
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An emergency meeting of the Solano County Board of Supervisors has been called for 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 27, to ratify a local emergency proclamation.
Chris Lanzafame, President of Reclamation District 1607, explained that “Van Sickle Island took a direct hit from the storm at high tide. Our levee, which was recently repaired from the February (2023) storms, failed at a 150-foot breach, and Van Sickle is now flooded again.”
The most recent storm saw 57 mph winds and 2.27 inches of rainfall from Dec. 13-16, and included damage from king tides.
King tides are the highest high tides of the year, rising one or two feet higher than a standard high tide. They are predictable, and the next series of king tides are expected from Jan. 11-13, 2025, and two more instances are expected in November and December of next year. Tide reports are available through oceanservice.noaa.org.
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“They are caused when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between the sun, moon, and Earth,” the OES release explains. “These tides typically happen two to four times a year, often during the winter and summer months.”
Coupled with the king tides, the recent storms “caused widespread damage to levees in multiple reclamation districts, the OES release reads, “including slips, seepage, erosion, wave wash, cracks, and breaches.”
While the full extent of the damage cannot be assessed until after the winter season, the county is seeking a proactive approach and help from the state government to remedy the issue.
“Soil conditions remain saturated, and additional storms increase the risk of further damage,” the release reads. “Solano County has requested the Governor to proclaim a State of Emergency and is seeking assistance through the California Disaster Assistance Act due to the magnitude of the damage.”
Reclamation districts are special jurisdictions used by the state to mitigate the impact of disasters such as this one, the release explains.
“The California Department of Water Resources works alongside these districts to maintain and secure infrastructure, especially in areas like the Suisun Marsh and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta,” the release reads. “Solano County is home to multiple reclamation districts that manage vital flood protection systems, safeguarding public safety, property, and the environment.”