California hikes costs for flood protections in farm country

California officials say as much as $30 billion is needed to protect the heart of the state's farm country from significant flooding over the next three decades

Climate change is worsening the already significant threat of flooding in California’s farm country, and state officials said Thursday that as much as $30 billion may be needed over three decades to protect the region, an increase from five years ago.

Every five years, flood protection plans are updated for the Central Valley, where about 1.3 million people live at risk in floodplains. State officials released a draft of the latest update that calls for investing in levees, maintenance and multi-benefit projects that recharge aquifers and support wildlife while enhancing flood protection.

The investments are necessary to protect a growing region where climate change is expected to worsen the chance of heavy rains and flooding, especially for the San Joaquin river basin.

“Climate change is no longer the future boogeyman that it once was. It's here,” said Kristopher Tjernell, deputy director of integrated watershed management at the California Department of Water Resources.