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August 28, 2024                                                                              

Critical Storm Channel Legislation to Prevent Future Flooding in San Diego Passes the State Legislature

Sacramento, CA –In response to this year’s catastrophic storms in San Diego, which heightened the need to improve storm water maintenance, the State Legislature passed legislation that enables local governments to be better prepared for future rainstorms. Assembly Bill’s 2501 and 3227, authored by Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego) are sponsored by the City of San Diego.

Assembly Bill 2501: ‘Cutting the Green Tape’ bill authorizes the State Water Resources Control Board and the Regional Water Quality Control Board to accept funds from the City of San Diego and other public agencies for permitting and technical assistance work on projects that relate to storm water channel clearance and other water quality projects.

Assembly Bill 3227: The ‘Streamlining Storm Water Channel Maintenance Act’ will expedite routine maintenance of storm water channels and facilities by eliminating administrative delays that are usually imposed by the California Environmental Quality Act. The bills will apply to channels that are fully concrete or have less than a 100-year storm capacity to ensure they are adequately maintained ahead of significant weather events.

In January, California and San Diego County experienced atmospheric rivers that led to devastating consequences across the region and state. San Diego recorded nearly 3 inches of rainfall within just 8 hours, making it the fourth rainiest day on record since 1850. The flooding was so severe that it affected more than 800 households, with water levels rising beyond 5 feet in some cases and causing widespread damage.

However, despite the damage caused by these storms, lessons have been learned to help local governments prepare and discover new tools that can help mitigate these issues in the future. As part of these efforts, Assemblymember David Alvarez and the City of San Diego partnered on this legislation designed to help the region better prepare and react more effectively.

“Weather data models are telling us that storms will continue to increase in frequency and severity due to climate change. We need to be proactive and allow our local governments to take immediate steps to prepare for these events and utilize all available resources to safeguard vulnerable neighborhoods without any administrative delays. These bills can aid San Diego in preparing for more frequent storms by expediting approvals and eliminating any unnecessary bureaucratic processes." said Assemblymember David Alvarez.

“I’m grateful for Assemblymember Alvarez’s partnership in taking this issue on,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “We are making San Diego more storm-resilient amid the changing climate. These crucial bills will significantly ease the exceptionally burdensome regulatory process, enabling San Diego and other local governments to clear and maintain storm channels more efficiently. I urge Governor Newsom to sign these bills into law.”

“As the San Diego Councilmember who represents the Southcrest community, which was devastated by flooding caused by the January 2024 winter storms, it is clear that quicker project reviews and cutting red tape to improve storm channels will help protect our communities from future disasters. For these reasons, AB 2501 and AB 3227 are critical to ensuring cities, like San Diego, can upgrade storm water infrastructure expeditiously to prevent future flooding events” said San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno.

These bills are on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature.

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The 80th Assembly District includes the communities of Barrio Logan, Logan Heights, Sherman Heights, Lincoln Acres, Bonita, Otay Mesa and San Ysidro, along with the cities of Chula Vista, National City and Imperial Beach.

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