AB 2543: Budget and Schedule for Infrastructure Projects
Workers prepare to remove a bulkhead from a wall panel with the help of a crane on the middle chute of the Lake Oroville main spillway
The Department of Water Resources constructs, operates, and maintains several large-scale infrastructure projects as part of its mission to sustainably manage the water resources of California. These include the State Water Project, which safely delivers water to 28 million Californians, habitat restoration along the Delta, and flood management facilities that help protect residents.
Assembly Bill 2543 (Chapter 918, Statutes of 2018) requires that state departments report on infrastructure projects with a cost estimate of more than $100 million that have either a delay of 12 months or cost increases of 10%.
While DWR has no projects subject to these requirements at this time, to ensure transparency, the Department has compiled the below list of ongoing projects with an anticipated budget of $100 million or more. These numbers were last updated in March of 2019. Should the timeline or cost of these projects change, they will be updated below.
DWR is also involved in some projects that share costs with federal or local governments. While these projects may have cost estimates of more than $100 million, DWR is not the project manager and does manage the project costs or timelines, and therefore has not included such projects here.
Current Project Cost Estimate: $300,000,000
Anticipated Project Completion: June 2023
The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback Project (LEBLS) will construct seven miles of setback levees to improve flood system capacity in the Yolo and Sacramento Bypasses. It will increase the level of flood protection to urban areas, provide new capacity to adapt to climate change, enhance ecosystem function, and provide economic stability by maintaining agriculture.
The project is anticipated to be completed in June of 2023 and will cost approximately $300 million.
For more information, visit the project website.
Current Project Cost Estimate: $119,000,000
Anticipated Project Completion If Approved: Fall of 2022
Lookout Slough Tidal Habitat Restoration and Flood Improvement Project is a proposed multi-benefit project located in the Cache Slough Region northeast of Liberty Island. The 3,400-acre project would enhance food productivity, spawning and rearing habitat for threatened and endangered native fish populations including Delta Smelt, and would constitute DWR’s largest tidal habitat restoration project to date.
In addition to ecosystem benefits, the proposed project would provide flood protection by expanding flood conveyance and storage for the Yolo Bypass. The project would create new protective levees to allow for breaching of the existing degraded levee along the Yolo Bypass. Breaching the levee would allow flood flow conveyance and restore historical tidal influence to the site.
The proposed project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2022 and, if approved, will cost approximately $119 million.
For more information, visit the program website.
Current Project Cost Estimate: $1,100,000,000
Anticipated Project Completion: End of 2021
Since the federally declared emergency in February of 2017, DWR has led an emergency response and recovery effort at the Oroville facilities. The estimated cost for emergency response, which ended in May of 2017, is $160 million. Emergency response activities included erosion mitigation for both spillways during the incident, sediment removal, installation of temporary transmission lines, staff time, technical consultants and inter-agency support. The work to repair and rebuild Oroville’s main and emergency spillways as well as site rehabilitation post construction is currently estimated to cost $940 million.
The current estimate for emergency response and reconstruction of the main and emergency spillways is $1.1 billion. Cost estimates are based on actual and projected work and may be adjusted further as work continues through completion of the project. The main spillway has been reconstructed and some minor work continues on the emergency spillway. Site rehabilitation is anticipated to be complete at the end of 2021.
For more information, visit the project webpage.
Current Project Cost Estimate: $260,000,000
Anticipated Project Completion: October 2019
Following a 2012 fire in the plant, DWR began a recovery and reconstruction project to return the plan to full operational capacity. The powerplant produces clean energy used to transport water throughout the state.
The cost to decontaminate and reconstruct the plant is estimated at $161,000,000 and work is anticipated to be completed in October of 2019.
For more information, visit the Oroville State Water Project facilities page.
Current Project Cost Estimate: $229,000,000
Anticipated Project Completion: End of 2023
In 2005, DWR discovered a seismic risk to Perris Dam’s foundation that was not known at the time of construction. Since then, DWR has kept the lake levels low to minimize risk. Using today’s improved understanding of liquefaction potential and dam performance under seismic loading, DWR began a three-part retrofit and upgrade to the dam and its appurtenances to improve seismic stability and enhance public safety.
The cost for all three components of the remediation project are estimated at $229,000,000. The first project, which consisted of the seismic remediation of the dam’s foundation and the construction of a stability berm, was completed in March of 2018. DWR is targeting 2021 to complete work to improve the Outlet Tower, and 2023 to improve the Emergency Release Facility.
For more information, visit the project webpage.
Current Project Cost Estimate: TBD
Anticipated Project Completion: TBD
DWR is working to identify a revised conveyance solution that meet’s Governor Newsom’s vision for a single tunnel, climate resilient project. DWR will prepare an updated budget that is consistent with the re-envisioned project. Once the project is refined, DWR will post the established schedule and budget online.
For more information, visit the project website.