The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback (LEBLS) Project is the first phase of implementation of recommendations from the 2012 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) and associated studies carried out by the Department of Water Resources. The project contributes to the CVFPP goals by providing improved public safety for approximately 780,000 people through:

• Reducing river levels (stages) in the Sacramento River
• Increasing the capacity of the Yolo and Sacramento Bypasses near the urban communities of Sacramento and West Sacramento, as well as rural communities, Woodland, and Clarksburg

The improvements will also provide:

• System resiliency
• Opportunities to improve ecosystem functions, such as:
  • Increasing inundated floodplain habitat for fish rearing
  • Improving the connection to the Sacramento Bypass Wildlife Area

The project consists of approximately 7 miles of setback levees in the Lower Elkhorn Basin along the east side of the Yolo Bypass, and the north side of the Sacramento Bypass. The project is:

• Removing portions of the existing levees that will be set back
• Removing portions of local reclamation district cross levees
• Improving or relocating related infrastructure including consolidation of three pump stations into one new pump station

DWR continues to coordinate closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (CVFPB), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to manage the permits needed for this project. DWR is also coordinating with local reclamation district and agencies and utility companies on specific infrastructure relocation and improvements. Some of the infrastructure work will be carried out by other agencies.

Construction Progress

The project started construction during the summer of 2020 with the majority of the new levee completed and portions of the existing levees removed before Winter 2023. During winter storms, water flowed onto the restored floodplain of the expanded bypass for the first time in about 100 years. Once the water receded and the bypass dried out, removal of the old levees continued. Construction will continue in 2025 to complete the majority of the project components. Construction is being completed by multiple contractors directly and through project partners including Forgen, Sukut Construction, GSE Construction, and others. LEBLS is also coordinating closely with the USACE’s Sacramento Weir Widening Project located immediately adjacent to LEBLS.