The Middle River Bridge is seen heading to Victoria Island, where a damaged levee spurred San Joaquin County to issue an emergency declaration in October 2024. (Photo by Edward Lopez/Stocktonia)

The risk of a potential levee failure in western San Joaquin County prompted officials to declare a local state of emergency on Wednesday.

Reclamation District engineers found slumping along the Old River on Victoria Island, which is near Highway 4, between Stockton and Discovery Bay.

While they took some emergency measures by adding temporary protective barriers, the levee is still at risk, officials said. Failure could translate to extensive damage toward agricultural lands, disruptions along Highway 4 and compromised drinking water sources.

“Public safety is a top priority for the County,” said Sierra Brucia, Director of the Office of Emergency Services. “By proclaiming a local emergency, the County is provided more authority to better facilitate the response operations and allows the issuance of protective orders as needed to ensure the safety of our community members.” 

KSN Inc., a Sacramento-area engineering firm, is working with local authorities to stabilize and strengthen the levee infrastructure, county officials said. The company KSN Inc. has also spoken with community members behind the levee about emergency protocols.

“KSN Inc. continues to work alongside the County of San Joaquin and the Department of Water Resources to prevent the risk of this levee failure,” said Christopher Neudeck, KSN Inc.’s principal engineer and incident commander. “With the support of the County proclaiming a local emergency, we are able to request additional state and federal assistance to support mitigation and technical response efforts.”

San Joaquin County has provided a list of safety tips for those in the area:

  • Sign up for SJReady Alerts by going to www.sjready.org.
  • Make an emergency plan with their family and consider each individual’s unique needs.
  • Build an emergency supply kit that will last each person for 72 hours.
  • Take pictures of their home and property including vehicles, boats, and farm equipment.
  • Move valuables from basements and ground floods to higher levels if possible.
  • Place sandbags anywhere water may enter their home.
  • Stay informed. Listen to your local radio or TV station to stay up to date.
  • If instructed to evacuate by local authorities, leave immediately.