California Legislative Analyst Office Report on Managing Floods

Recent months have highlighted how quickly statewide concerns can turn from the devastating impacts of too little water during a prolonged drought, to the comparably destructive effects of too much water and resulting floods. Flood management is a complicated and expensive undertaking in California, given the state’s size, its extensive and aging infrastructure, the number of agencies involved, and the magnitude of its flood risk. In light of these complexities, this report provides basic information about floods and flood management in California. For the report, see  LAO Report on Managing Floods.