Opinion: State must act now to head off future floods
As a result of our warming climate, Stockton and San Joaquin Valley communities face a growing risk of disastrous flooding in coming years. California’s budget surplus gives us an important opportunity for a major investment in climate-smart flood solutions. Why make flood investments a priority during a drought? Preparing for future floods is like saving for retirement: Building flood management projects takes years. If we don’t start now, we may not be ready when the next big flood arrives.
-Written by Mike Machado, a farmer in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a former state senator and the author of flood policy reform legislation.