WORK FOR FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS e are doing work in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Panama with miliappropriations. In addition, we are providing engineering assistance to the ama Canal Commission in Panama and to the Agency for International DevelopI in El Salvador using funds provided by those agencies. No civil appropriations eing utilized for any work outside the United States. r. BEVILL. I think that is a very good question, General. If there ny civil appropriated money being used in foreign countries, we ld like to know how much and what it is being used for and gave you the authority to do it. eneral EDGAR. Yes, sir. r. BEVILL. General Edgar, thank you again. e will stand in recess for five minutes. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1986. SOUTH PACIFIC DIVISION WITNESSES GADIER GENERAL DONALD J. PALLADINO, DIVISION COMMANDER IEL E. WANKET, CHIEF, ENGINEERING DIVISION LLIP F. DUNN, JR., CHIEF, PLANNING DIVISION WARD J. O'NEILL, JR., CHIEF, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OFFICE K M. ROMANZOV, ASSISTANT CHIEF, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT FFICE ZABETH L. VARNER, PROGRAM ANALYSIS OFFICER, PROGRAM DEELOPMENT OFFICE [r. BEVILL. The committee will come to order. eneral Palladino, we are delighted to have you with us. You ' proceed as you wish. INTRODUCTION eneral PALLADINO. Mr. Chairman, and members of the commitI am pleased to report to you on the status of civil works acies under the jurisdiction of the South Pacific Division and to ent the details of our fiscal year 1987 budget. I have with me Wanket, Chief of Engineering; Frank Dunn, Chief of Planning; O'Neill, Chief of Program Development; Nick Romanzov, AssistChief of Program Development; and Betty Varner, our Senior gram Analyst. Before I present my prepared status report, I ld like to update the committee on the recent devastating is that occurred in California and Nevada. STORMS OF FEBRUARY 1986 3,000-mile-long storm front, billed as the Storm of '86, hit the fornia coast on Valentine's Day. As the storm approached, we è uncertain which areas were most severely threatened. Howevt soon became apparent that northern California would bear brunt of the storm. COASTAL AREA STREAMS vers in Napa, Marin, and Sonoma Counties swelled to record ls and forced residents from their homes. Pacific Gas and ElecCompany reported 200,000 outages. The Napa River reached flood of record with approximately 25 inches of rain occurring in a four day period. More than 5,000 people were evacuated ing 25 percent of the city of Napa under water and causing or road closures. esidents of Petaluma were forced to leave their homes three difat times. At Guerneville, the Russian River flows reached its highest elevation in history, 17 feet above flood stage. 450 people had to be airlifted by the Army National Guard. These unprece dented levels even caused evacuation centers to be relocated. Had it not been for the recently completed Warm Springs Dam where the pool came up 70 feet, the record river level at Guerne ville would have been four feet higher. In the City of Novato, over 100 homes were evacuated. Flood flows on Corte Madera Creek in Marin County exceeded the e trance capacity of the channel. In fiscal year 1987, we hope to be able to proceed with construction of Unit 4, thereby capturing the flood flows to prevent the flooding that occurred at Ross and S Anselmo. Approximately 75 miles south of San Francisco in Gilroy, the site of the authorized Pajaro River Project sudden flooding gave res dents little notice, causing localized flooding along Uvas Creek and evacuation of 250 residents. Before the weekend ended, as the storm moved east, havoc and widespread damage moved into the East Bay causing flooding on Wildcat Creek. By Monday, the effects of the storm were fe inland, resulting in the closure of I-80, isolating the community Fairfield. In addition localized flooding in Fairfield stranded many residents. STATE OF NEVADA In the State of Nevada, we experienced flooding in Carson Cit and Reno. 200,000 sandbags were provided to prevent overflow the Truckee River. In the nearby community of Sparks, there wa widespread flooding caused by the 60-year occurrence. Estimated damages in the Truckee Meadows area were $16 million. SACRAMENTO RIVER FLOOD CONTROL SYSTEM Next, I will cover the Sacramento River Flood Control System cluding dams, levees and bypass channels which were severe tested. 130 miles north of Sacramento at Tehama, along the Sacra mento River, over 200 residents were evacuated from their homes Further downstream at the Woodson Bridge, the river crested seven feet above flood stage, causing further evacuation. At the upstream end of the Sacramento River Flood Contra Project, Black Butte Lake filled. Flows passed over the spill and progressed downstream into the Sacramento River. The passes were flowing to capacity as excess flows passed from the river over the control weirs. Further downstream, in the vicinity of Robbin's, a slipout weak ened the levee. Prompt action permitted 400 people, who had been evacuated earlier, to return safely to their homes. A week after the storm began, in the vicinity of the confluence the Feather and Yuba Rivers, the towns of Linda and Olivehurs were extensively flooded due to a 150 foot breach in the pres levee near Marysville. The levee break was subsequently filled t days later using Corps Public Law 99 authority. Also in the basin, Clear Lake, which feeds Cache Creek, crested record 4 feet above flood stage, inundating residential areas. Belm Clear Lake, in Capay Valley, bank erosion added to the floodin blems and the previously filled downstream settling basin sed the total sediment load into the Yolo Bypass. 'lash floods just northeast of Sacramento, on Dry Creek, in Rosee, caused damages to businesses and homes estimated at about million. The surging water continued downstream causing over million in related damages in Rio Linda. ust south of Dry Creek on the American River, flood flows of r 200,000 cubic feet per second caused the controlled failure of cofferdam at the Auburn Dam site and filled Folsom Lake to historic level, requiring record releases of 130,000 cubic feet per ond. These record flows surged downstream along the American er, and 500 people were put on levee watch as the highest ges on record passed through the heart of Sacramento. The Ord flows stressed the levees requiring emergency action to conseepage. ust north of the confluence of the American and Sacramento ers, remedial action was necessary to restore levee integrity and uce the threat to the Sacramento metropolitan area. The culmiion of all basin flows resulted in a river flow of 650,000 cubic per second, which was 150 percent of that previously recorded. a frame of reference, we normally experience flows between 000 and 30,000 cubic feet per second. Here was an experience of ,000 cubic feet per second, at its peak. These flows inundated Vista with hundreds evacuated from their homes. However, the ained high flows, coupled with tidal action, caused relatively breaks in the 1,100 miles of delta levees. DELTA LEVEES he breaks occurred on Tyler Island and the New Hope Tract, ndating 18,300 acres and causing the evacuation of 600 people. the north end of Tyler Island, we constructed an emergency e to protect the town of Walnut Grove. At the town of Thornwhere extensive damage occurred, a 275 foot long levee break closed. ESTIMATED STORM DAMAGE inally, for the thousands of Sacramento Valley residents proed by flood control levees, the terrifying memories of this storm be recalled for many years. ow that the skies have cleared and the floodwaters are recedthe challenge of cleanup has just begun. The enormity of this age is staggering. At least nine deaths are attributed to the ms. In California alone, over 10,000 homes were damaged, and e and local officials have estimated over $300 million in total ages were sustained. In the State of Nevada, damages amount 27 million. As great as the damage was, it would have been h greater if Corps of Engineers flood control projects had not 1 in place. These projects prevented at least $1.4 billion in addial damages. Furthermore, projects on the drawing board, if concted, could have prevented over $100 million in additional dam rom our recent experience, it is evident that a water resources orization bill is urgently needed. |