Living Next to a Levee

What You Should Know about Your Local Levee

A levee is an important flood control structure, maintained for your protection. These levees are so important that they are under control of local, state, and federal agencies.

Construction near a levee must be permitted by the State Reclamation board.

Debris or overgrown vegetation around levees can dangerously impede flood fighting.

May contain: hedge, fence, plant, and tree

Safety

The levee near your property may seem family mundane. It's an easy thing to take for granted, but take a moment to think about the protection that it gives you and your community from floodwaters that could damage neighborhood property and dramatically interrupt your lives.

Maintenance

May contain: grass, plant, vegetation, path, nature, outdoors, land, woodland, forest, and tree

Like any structure, levees require routine maintenance to help prevent failure from occurring. Even though you are protected by a levee, there is always a risk. However, by knowing what to look for and whom to call, you play a vital role in keeping your community safe.

Encroachments

Because your property is protected by a levee, it is a significant piece of a local system of flood control. It is important that you understand the restrictions and work to be done on or near a levee.

Any work to be performed on or within ten feet of a levee must be permitted by the CA Central Valley Flood Protection Board and endorsed by the ARFCD Board of Trustees.
Our staff will work with you to try to find a mutually satisfactory solution as well as provide information on how to apply for a CA Central Valley Flood Protection Board Encroachment Permit.
Any work that could affect the structural integrity of a levee or impedes flood fighting will not be permitted.
Please click here to obtain an encroachment permit application and instructions.

Inspection

Inspectors from the CA Department of Water Resources and ARFCD Management verify that your levee is in compliance with standards set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Owners of properties posing a hazard to levee maintenance will be notified and allowed to resolve the situation with ARFCD Management and Board of Trustees.

Resources

Download the Emergency Supply Checklist Who Do I Call? Download this handy contact list for local, state and federal agencies Download the Living Next to a Levee brochure

Website Accessibility Statement

American River Flood Control District (the "District") is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, the District strives to provide an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, AA, and commercial screen reading software. Features of the website are created to allow individuals with vision and other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities.

If you need any special assistance or accommodations:

Contact our compliance support team via telephone at: (888) 765-1970

Ongoing Compliance Information

Compliance Coordinator

The District has designated a Compliance Coordinator for website disability-related accommodations. The Compliance Coordinator has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best practices and requirements.

Compliance Procedures

The District is working to ensure all website content complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and controlling State laws. In an ongoing effort to continually improve and remediate accessibility issues, the website is regularly scanned to ensure ongoing compliance, and timely changes are made to any inaccessible content if found.

Accessible Documents Policy

The District is committed to providing all documents hosted on the website in an accessible format or making accessible alternatives available.

Linked Documents and Third Parties

Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites that do not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties, we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.

Report a Website Accessibility Issue

We are committed to your ability to access all content, and we will respond to all requests in a timely manner. If you need assistance or accommodations while accessing content on this website, please contact our Compliance Coordinator via the form below: