SACRAMENTO, Calif — The Sacramento area is considered to be one of the the most at-risk regions in the country for catastrophic flooding, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
Officials said that's why they're working to modernize and upgrade Sacramento's aging flood infrastructure. But a community group is raising alarms over the number of trees that are being chopped down along the riverbank to complete the project.
"What we want is protection without destruction," said Josh Thomas, a member of the American River Trees community group. Thomas is also a PhD candidate in history at UC Davis, whose dissertation is on the history of flood control and development in the Sacramento Valley.
The USACE's work along the American River around the Guy West Bridge near the Sacramento State campus presents a stark preview for the remaining sections of the project.
While revegetation is now underway, the large heritage trees that were standing in the area are now gone forever.
American River Trees is concerned about the next phase, located in the area extending east of the Howe Avenue Bridge, identified as 3B, which is home to some 300-year-old oak trees.
"We could lose our majestic oak trees as well as majestic views of the river," Thomas said.
The community group argues that the project needs more study and points to research that shows tree roots also help protect against erosion.
"We want to preserve these wild and beautiful spaces, while also ensuring that the Sacramento region gets the erosion protection and the flood control protection that they need," Thomas said.
In a statement, the Army Corps of Engineers said:
"Several levee sections along the American River were identified as being susceptible to significant erosion from the higher, longer releases from Folsom Dam. The proposed bank protection work will armor the riverbank to reduce and prevent erosion which, if left unaddressed, could result in levee failure."
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