Wolk bill to require local flood planning moves forward

General plans would be required to assess flood risk

SACRAMENTO–The State Assembly’s Local Government Committee voted 4-2 today to approve legislation by Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) requiring local flood planning.

“AB 162 will make the connection between community planning and the threat of flooding,” said Wolk. “The bill rectifies a glaring omission in current law, calling on local governments to consider flood risk in their general plans, just as they are currently required to consider the risk of earthquake and fire.  This requires that local governments are fully informed when making land use decisions.”

Wolk’s Assembly Bill 162 addresses the disconnect between state flood protection and local land use planning by requiring local governments to incorporate flood planning requirements in their general plans. The bill is identical to Wolk’s AB 802, part of a package of Assembly flood protection legislation that stalled last year in the Senate. AB 802 was unopposed, as is AB 162, part of Wolk’s current package of flood protection legislation.

Current law is explicit regarding planning requirements for areas prone to earthquakes or fire hazards. Yet the law is silent on specific requirements to assess the possibilities of floods—despite the fact that floods are the most common natural disaster in the country, and 40 percent of the nation's catastrophic flood risk is in California. 

“AB 162 is a straightforward yet necessary step towards protecting our communities,” said Wolk.

Among those testifying in support of the bill was Julia Maclay, speaking on behalf of the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

“We believe this bill will significantly advance the cause of integrating flood management in land use planning decisions,” she said.

AB 162, which will next be heard in the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee, is also supported by the American Planning Association, California Central Valley Flood Control Association, East Bay Municipal Utility District, Planning and Conservation League, Regional Council of Rural Counties, and Sierra Club California.