High water. High winds. High tide. Heavy rain. Combine those four factors with significant releases from massive reservoirs in the Sierra foothills. Toss in the constant need for money for upkeep and you have what used to set the stage for high anxiety for Reclamation District 2062 located where the San Joaquin River drains 12,250 square miles into the Delta.
RIVER ISLANDS : WHAT 200-YEAR FLOOD PROTECTION LOOKS LIKE
Where other nearby levees on San Joaquin River are 20 feet or so wide at the top, River islands’ are between 100 and 300 feet