The state is beginning repairs this week to a damaged levee on Victoria Island that led San Joaquin County to issue an emergency declaration last month.
Although a major storm is bearing down on the Delta, officials say it is not expected to cause any further significant damage to the levee, located about 16 miles west of Stockton.
The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services declared the state of emergency last month after the discovery of slumping at the levee, situated along the Old River on the island near Highway 4, between Stockton and Discovery Bay. The county authorized repairs, but the declaration was needed to bring in the California Department of Water Resources for a longer-term fix.
That declaration, which stays in effect for 60 days, is likely to be extended, San Joaquin County emergency services spokeswoman Kia Xiong said.
The state plans to shore up the levee so that it poses no further risk, at least through the rainy season. After that, CDWR spokesman Jason Ince said the agencies will need to jointly find a more permanent solution.
“This repair is basically to get it through this winter,” Ince said.
The contractor arrived this week to begin preparation work.
The storm, expected to drop as much as 2 inches of rain in Stockton over the next week, appears to pose a minimal risk to the levee, he said. Seepage detected so far has been below the water, not at ground level, meaning it’s unlikely the levee could be overtopped, Ince said. At this point, it is more at risk from damage by tidal action than by flooding.
Still, county Office of Emergency Services officials say they aren’t taking any chances.
“We are closely monitoring the incoming storm system and adjusting our preparations to ensure that temporary mitigation measures at the Victoria Island levee remain effective against the approaching atmospheric river,” the agency said in a statement.