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FloodSAFE
Environmental Stewardship
and Statewide Resources Office







FloodSAFE Environmental Stewardship and Statewide Resources Office (FESSRO)


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  • About Us

      FESSRO began operations in July 2009 to provide a focus for integrating environmental stewardship into DWR’s FloodSAFE California initiative and related programs.

      The mission of FESSRO is: to implement integrated environmental stewardship and flood management statewide, through collaboration, sound science and innovative engineering.

      FESSRO includes three branches: Delta Levees and Environmental Engineering, Floodway Ecosystem Sustainability, and Environmental Restoration and Enhancement.

  • Levees

      The Delta Levees and Environmental Engineering branch provides engineering assistance and funding to Delta reclamation districts to improve levees and other flood protection facilities in a way that avoids environmental damages and enhances habitat. This work is accomplished through the Subventions and Special Projects components of DWR’s Delta Levees Section. The branch coordinates with Delta agencies to improve and support levee stability and maintenance and flood emergency preparedness. Its programs also support research into on-island subsidence reversal and carbon sequestration, and their effects on Delta flood protection, water conveyance, and environmental systems. In addition, the Delta Knowledge Improvement Program (DKIP) actively funds studies to fill in data gaps identified in the Delta Risk Management Strategy (DRMS) Project. Finally, the program supports projects that provide multiple benefits, such as the North Delta flood control and habitat restoration project.

  • Floodway Ecosystems

      The Floodway Ecosystem Sustainability (FES) branch is developing the Central Valley Flood System Conservation Strategy, to support the Department's efforts towards integrated flood system planning and the development of Central Valley Flood Protection Plan. During 2010 and 2011, FES provided support on environmental aspects and the integration of environmental stewardship into the development of the 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP)(PDF, 38 MB) and developed the Conservation Framework (Attachment 2 to Volume 1 of the CVFPP)(PDF, 8.1 MB). FES is currently focusing on the development of the Central Valley Flood System Conservation Strategy, a comprehensive effort to create a systemwide conservation plan to support the 2017 update of the CVFPP. The branch also coordinates regional advance mitigation planning (RAMP), a comprehensive statewide effort promoting more meaningful, large-scale, and cost-effective conservation by establishing mitigation banks before flood projects are implemented.

  • Environmental Restoration

      The Environmental Restoration and Enhancement branch oversees a range of programs and funding activities to mitigate, enhance and restore the State's aquatic ecosystems and watersheds, particularly those associated with DWR's water resource projects. Programs extend from the mountains to the coast and include urban streams restoration, riverine ecosystems such as native anadromous fish passage improvement, Delta ecosystem enhancement, and Special Projects such as the Salton Sea Restoration Program. The Branch also works with local and regional land use planners, land owners, flood management agencies, water management agencies, federal and State regulatory agencies, and non-profit groups to provide ecological and restoration information and data analyses through open collaboration forums such as the Riparian Habitat Joint Venture (RHJV).

 
Announcements


alt text Urban Streams Restoration Program Releases Final Grant Awards

The Department of Water Resources, Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP) has released the list of Final Grant Awards for the 2008 application solicitation. Twelve applications have been awarded grant funding for a total of $8,840,335 in grant funds from Propositions 84 and 40. The Final Grant Awards and additional USRP information, such as the Guidelines and enabling legislation (California Water Code Section 7048) are available on the USRP website, here: http://www.water.ca.gov/urbanstreams/.

Questions regarding the Final Grant Awards list may be sent directly to Jerry Snow via email glsnow@water.ca.gov or phone at (916) 651-9626.
alt text DWR Announces Central Valley Flood System Conservation Framework and Strategy Funding

The Director of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has approved final funding guidelines (Doc, 464KB) to direct Proposition 1E funding to flood management projects and activities in support of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) slated for adoption by the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Board) by July 1 of this year. The guidelines are specifically related to the Central Valley Flood System Conservation Framework (Conservation Framework), which is Attachment 2 to the public draft CVFPP under consideration by the Board.

A draft version of the guidelines was the subject of three public workshops and one webinar in December 2011. With these guidelines in place, DWR is now authorized to spend Proposition 1E money on projects and activities that advance the goals of the Conservation Framework and that will provide mitigation for improvements to State Plan of Flood Control facilities.

DWR expects to release its first Request for Proposals (RFP) under the these guidelines in April 2012. In addition to competitive bids, DWR will be considering direct expenditures with authorized partners; direct expenditures will be required to meet the same criteria as applicants submitting competitive bid proposals in response to the RFP.

For more information, please contact Lori Clamurro Chew at lchew@water.ca.gov or (916) 653-5735, or Terri Gaines at tgaines@water.ca.gov or (916) 653-6520.