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District Overview
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Who are we? |
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The District was created July 7, 1945 by an Act of the
California State Legislature. The District (2700 sq. mi.) is
located in the western portion of Riverside County (7200 sq.
mi.). It extends easterly far enough to include the
cities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City and Desert Hot
Springs. The District is governed by a Board of
Supervisors comprised of the same individuals as the
Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
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Why were we created? |
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Following the devastating floods of 1938, the Board of
Supervisors saw the need for a regional drainage authority
and petitioned the California State Legislature to create such a body.
On July 7, 1945, the Legislature took the appropriate action and the
Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District was born.
In establishing the District, the Legislature
not only formed an entity charged with keeping county residents safe
from flood hazard but also established an independent tax revenue stream
for funding. Before the
District's inception, severe flooding regularly occurred throughout
much of the County.
Today, through effective engineering, dam and channel
construction, regulation, and public education, massive
flooding is far less common.
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What does the District do? |
The purpose of the District is to
provide the following:
- Identification of flood hazards
and problems
- Regulation of floodplains and
development
- Regulation of drainage and
development
- County Watercourse and Drainage
Planning
- Education for Flood Prevention &
Safety
- Construction of Flood Control
Structures and Facilities
- Flood Warning and Early
Detection
- Maintenance and operation of
completed structures
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What is the District's jurisdiction? |
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The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is the regional
flood management authority for the western part of Riverside County.
As a Special District, Flood Control’s jurisdiction does not extend over
the entire County but only the western 40%. The responsibility for drainage
in the eastern part of the County is borne by a combination of the County Transportation
Department, the Coachella Valley Water District, the various cities and a variety
of local entities. The District does provide certain non-tax supported functions
(such as flood plain management, development review, NPDES compliance, etc.)
for the entire County. And unlike a County Department, the District has authority to
expend tax dollars within city boundaries as well as within unincorporated areas.
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How is the District funded? |
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The Flood Control District is a special
district rather than a County Department, and as such,
receives a dedicated share of property taxes – about 3.5%.
In addition to property taxes (which are the chief income source)
, other revenue sources for the District include developer
fees and cost sharing arrangements with other governmental
entities. Today, the District has an annual budget of approximately
$150 million and total assets of nearly $1 billion.
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How is the District organized? |
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The District’s 235 employees are divided into seven Divisions.
: Planning, Design & Construction, Regulatory, Surveying and
Mapping, Operations, Information Technology and Finance.
The Planning Division develops watershed specific Master
Drainage Plans and prepares flood hazard reports for proposed
land developments throughout the District. The Design Division
develops and prepares project specific hydrologic, hydraulic,
and structural designs for a variety of drainage facilities,
including underground storm drains, detention basins, dams,
levees, and open channels with costs ranging from as little
as $10,000 to more than $12,000,000. The Regulatory Division
is charged with the management and modification of Federally
mapped flood plains; assumes the lead role in the County’s
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
program compliance; develops and reviews environmental
assessments for District and closely related projects;
and obtains the myriad of local, State and Federal
environmental permits for all District maintenance
and construction activities. These three Divisions
are supported at every juncture by the other four Divisions
which provide such services as photogrammetry and mapping,
surveying, accounting, human resources, information technology
support and the usual administrative functions.
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