Posted on May 17, 2023
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $172.9 million construction contract for the Sacramento Weir Widening Project to Granite Construction Company of Watsonville, California.
The Sacramento Weir Widening Project will add a new 1,500-foot-wide weir adjacent to the existing 1,950-foot-wide structure that has been in place for the last 106 years. The existing weir’s 48 manually-operated gates will remain intact, and the new passive weir expansion will allow excessive floodwater to spill out of the river channel and into the bypasses on its own. Lowering the level of the river during high-water events will reduce the flood risk for the Sacramento Metropolitan area, one of the most at-risk regions in the nation for catastrophic flooding.
Over 40 acres of seasonally inundated floodplain, which will provide suitable Giant Garter Snake habitat, will be created by the project. Additionally, there will be a fish passage structure and ladder specifically designed to accommodate adult sturgeon that includes state of the art fish monitoring equipment.
“We’re excited to get to work on this project that will increase the safety of those living in the area. The Sacramento Weir is a vital part of our flood control infrastructure, and this upgrade will make it more effective at doing its job,” said Project Manager Sean McNeil.
This joint effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Central Valley Flood Protection Board, California Department of Water Resources, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency is part of the larger American River Common Features (ARCF16) project authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. The Bipartisan Budget Act fully funded nearly $1.8 billion to implement upgrades to Sacramento’s flood risk management system. The ARCF16 project includes up to 13 miles of seepage cutoff walls, 21 miles of bank protection, 5 miles of levee stabilization, 5 miles of levee raises and the widening the Sacramento Weir and bypass.
Construction of the Sacramento Weir Widening Project is scheduled to start this summer and is estimated to be completed in December 2026.
More information on the Sacramento Weir Widening Project can be found at https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Sacramento-Levee-Upgrades/Sacramento-Weir/ and the presentation from the April 13, 2020 public meeting can be found at https://www.spk.usace.army.mil/Portals/12/documents/civil_works/CommonFeatures/WRDA16/web/2020-04-13_Sac%20Weir%20NEPA%20Scoping%20v3.pdf?ver=2020-04-10-171408-530
