A River Runs By Us ....

We had quite a lot of rain in Northern California over the Christmas and New Year period. While I remained dry, thanks to the levees on the Sacramento River, there was and still is plenty of water flowing down river just a few hundred yards away from my door. My house is built in an area that would naturally flood every year if the river were not controlled, so I have more than a little interest in these things.

Here are a couple of pictures taken today on what was a beautiful Sunday afternoon here. One of the Sacramento River from the top of the levee close by my house; another of the Yolo Bypass – an area that is deliberately flooded by diverting water from the river in order to take some of the pressure off of Sacramento’s levees. That is Sacramento in the distance.



Since Hurricane Katrina and the flooding of New Orleans, everyone seems to be much more attuned to the potential for flooding. Individuals at the Army Corps of Engineers, who build and maintain the levees, have stated that New Orleans had better levee protection than Sacramento does! Now that New Orleans is devastated, Sacramento is the most vulnerable large city that is in danger of flooding. I would imagine flood insurance is selling quite well these days (I have mine already).