Governor declares emergency to speed Delta levee repairs

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday for California’s levee system, a step administration officials said would help speed up repairs to 24 flood-prone sites.

“In order to protect ourselves we need to move quickly and address all of these sites and repair them before the next flood season,” said Lester Snow, director of the Department of Water Resources.

Officials said the declaration would allow the state to waive environmental and contracting laws in making the repairs and open up emergency funding as part of an attempt to complete repairs before the next flood season.

“If we did this through normal funding and normal procedures it probably would take us three to four years,” Snow said.

Most of the sites are along the Sacramento River system, and a few are in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Snow added.

The declaration also allows the state to make repairs to other sections of levee found to be in severe need of maintenance in addition to the 24 mentioned by Snow.

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