Delta levee maintenance.

Existing law, requires the Department of Water Resources to develop and submit to the Reclamation Board criteria for adoption by the board for the maintenance and improvement of nonproject levees, as prescribed. Existing law requires the department to inspect completed maintenance or improvement work, as specified, and requires the department to submit to the board a report upon completion of an inspection, as to its finding. Existing law also authorizes the department and the board to cooperate with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to develop and implement delta levee rehabilitation, improvement, and realignment, and to enhance the environment. This bill would, instead, define "board" for the above purposes as the Central Valley Flood Protection Board. Existing law establishes a delta levee maintenance program pursuant to which a local agency may request reimbursement for costs incurred in connection with the maintenance or improvement of project or nonproject levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Existing law declares legislative intent to reimburse eligible local agencies under this program, until July 1, 2013, in an amount not to exceed 75% of those costs that are incurred in excess of $1,000 per mile of levee, and on and after that date, in an amount not to exceed 50% of those described costs. This bill, instead, would declare legislative intent to reimburse up to 75% of those described costs until July 1, 2018, and on and after that date, to reimburse up to 50% of those described costs. Existing law, until July 1, 2013, authorizes the board to provide funds to an eligible local agency under this program in the form of an advance in an amount that does not exceed 75% of the estimated state share. This bill would extend the operation of that authorization to July 1, 2018.