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‘Could be catastrophic’: Homeless camps on Sacramento-area levees cause concern Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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FACING A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC THREAT. >> YOU CAN HEAR THE CARS ON GARDEN HIGHWAY FROM JOANN MARTIN’S HOME JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. SHE ADMITS SHE REALLY THINKS OF THE PROTECTION THE LEVEE OFFERS UNTIL THE WATER GET’S HIGH. >> WE WOULD BE UNDERWATER IF THEY BROKE. >> THEN WE SHOWED HER A PICTURE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEVEE FROM HER HOME WHERE A HOMELESS CAMP HAS BEEN CUT INTO THE SIDE OF THE LEVEE. >> THAT CONCERNS ME. >> AND THOSE CUTS INTO THE LEVEE ARE DEEP IN SOME PLACES EXPERTS ESTIMATED AS MUCH AS EIGHT FEET. >> I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. >> WE ALSO SHOWED PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE DAMAGE TO CIVIL ENGINEER CHRIS NEUDECK WHO HAS WORKED ON LEVEE REPAIR THROUGHOUT THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. >> THIS COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. >> AND IT HAPPENS A LOT. >> WE HAVE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF THESE THROUGHOUT SACRAMENTO, SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. >> FROM THE LOOKS OF IT, NEUDECK SAYS THIS ONE ENCAMPMENT HAS CUT INTO SEVERAL FEET OF THE LEVEE, POTENTIALLY WEAKENING THE STRUCTURE IF THE WATER EVER GOT THIS HIGH. >> A VERY SMALL HOLE RESULTS IN DAMAGE TO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. >> NEUDECK SAYS HOMELESS PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DIGGING INTO AND DAMAGING LEVEES UNDERNEATH INTERSTATE FIVE IN A NUMBER OF PLACES IN THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY LIKE HERE ALONG THE SMITH CANAL. >> WE’VE HAD A SITUATION ON SMITH CANAL WHERE WE’VE REPAIRED IT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 6 YEARS AND THEY’VE DESTROYED IT EVERY TIME. >> CAL-TRANS SET ASIDE $2 MILLION TO FIX A LEVEE UNDER THE INTERSTATE AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM LIVECOPTER THREE IT’S AN AREA WHICH HAS BEEN REPEATEDLY INUNDATED WITH HOMELESS. EXPERIENCE TELLS THEM IF THEY TRY TO MOVE THEM THEY WILL JUST BE BACK. >> REALISITICALLY THE FOLKS FOLD UP THEIR TENTS, THROW THEM ON THE BACK OF THEIR BIKES, THEY SIT THERE AND HAVE A SANDWICH, WAIT TILL EVERYONE LEAVES AND THEY TRUCK RIGHT BACK. >> THERE ARE 1100 MILES OF LEVEES IN THE SACRAMENTO-SAN JOAQUIN DELTA LINE THEM UP AND IT’S LONGER THAN THE CALIFORNIA COASTLINE. THERE ARE MORE THAN 100 DIFFERENT RECLAMATION DISTRICTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR UPKEEP SO WHO ARE THESE MAINTAINING AGENCIES? FOR THE LEVEES ALONG THE AMERICAN AND SACRAMENTO RIVERS AROUND NATOMAS IT’S RECLAMATION DISTRICT 1,000. THERE ARE CAMPS LINED UP ALONG THE LEVEES WITHIN A HALF A MILE OF THE HEADQUARTERS, BUT THE GENERAL MANAGER SAYS THEY ALONE CAN’T DO MUCH TO KEEP THE LEVEES CLEAR OF CAMPS. WE ARE A SMALL ORGANIZATION AND OUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. >> WHAT’S MORE THEY SAY THE TENTS BLOCK THEIR VIEWS OF MANY SECTIONS OF THE LEVEES PREVENTING THEM FROM ASSESSING WHERE THE LEVEES MIGHT BE DAMAGED OR WEAKENED. >> WHEN THE SITES ARE VACATED, WE CAN GET IN AND SEE. AND THAT’S WHERE WE NEED HELP FROM OUR PARTNERS, FROM WHETHER IT’S ENFORCEMENT OR WORKING WITH AN IMPACT TEAM. >> WE FOUND JAMES IN ONE OF THE CAMPS. >> I DON’T REALLY SAY CAMP. SOME PEOPLE DO. I JUST, LIKE I SAID, MINGLE WITH THE PEOPLE. >> JAMES SAID IF THEY CAN’T FIND A LEVEL PLACE THAT’S DRY, THEY’LL CREATE ONE. >> THEY’LL SPREAD IT OUT AMONGST THEM SO THEY CAN PUT THEIR TENT LEVEL THAT’S ABOUT IT. >> HOMELESS ADVOCATE PAULA LOMAZZI SAID THEY SEEK HIDDEN SPOTS NEAR THE RIVER BECAUSE THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE HARASSED OR MOVED BY AUTHORITIES. >> I THINK A SHORT TERM SOLUTION IS FINDING A PLACE FOR THEM TO STAY IT’S NOT A SOLUTION BUT IT WILL ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEMS ABOUT THE LEVEE. >> BUT SHE TOO AGREES IT CREATES A RISKY SITUATION. >> THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP THE LEVEES STRONG, YOU KNOW. AND I THINK A LOT OF THEM WILL BE REASONABLE BUT SOME WON’T UNDERSTAND. >> WHEN WE BEGAN OUR INVESTIGATION A MONTH AGO THE RECLAMATION DISTRICT TOLD KCRA-3 INVESTIGATES THAT THE ENCAMPMENTS DID NOT POSE MUCH OF A THREAT. THERE’S NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN RIGHT NOW FOR US. >> BUT JUST TODAY THAT SEEMS TO HAVE CHANGED. DISTRICT GENERAL MANAGER KEVIN KING SAYS THAT AFTER REPAIRING THE DAMAGE FROM THIS ENCAMPMENT JUST 8 DAYS AGO THE BOARD HAD CONCERNS. >> THE TRUSTEES OF THE DISTRICT KIND OF STARTED TO ASK IF THIS IS ONE SITE WHAT’S UNDER THE REST OF THEM? >> IN A RECLAMATION DISTRICT ONE THOUSAND BOARD MEETING THIS MORNING THE DISTRICT IS ASKING FOR HELP. >> WE’RE GOING TO SEND OUT TO THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO, COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO, PROBABLY TO CENTRAL VALLEY FLOOD PROTECTION BOARD, DWR, ANYBODY WITH ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY THAT CAN COME IN AND REMOVE THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT ARE PREVENTING US FROM MONITORING AND MAINTAINING THE LEVEE. >> THE DISTRICT IS ASKING LAW ENFORCEMENT, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT-TERM, TO REMOVE THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. >> I CAN’T SAY ALL OF THEM ARE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE LEV SYSTEM, BUT WE DO NEED TO REPAIR THEM. >> AND KING ADMITS THAT SINCE THEY CAN’T SEE UNDER THE TARPS AND TENTS THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE. AND DISTRICT ONE THOUSAND IS FAR FROM THE ONLY LEVEE PROTECTION DISTRICT THERE ARE FAR MORE THROUGHOUT OUR AREA, YUBA AND SUTTER COUNTIES TO THE NORTH DOWN TO SAN JOAQUIN AND STANISLAUS COUNTIES IN THE SOUTH MANY OF THEM HAVE SIMILAR HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. AND THE DISTRICT BOARD IS WORRIED ABOUT THE MONTHS TO COME. >> THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPRING RUNOFF THAT’S GOING TO OCCUR, THE RIVER ELEVATIONS ARE GOING TO STAY HIGH FOR A M