Response to Historic Flooding in Cosumnes Watershed

The recent, and ongoing, historic flooding in California’s Cosumnes watershed is a significant challenge to rural communities, and to The Freshwater Trust’s agricultural and conservation partners. The losses of life associated with multiple levee failures has left us with heavy hearts. We are committed to supporting communities affected by flooding, and our staff are helping to bring food, water and other supplies to those in need. Multiple partners have collaborated to distribute over 40,000 pounds of water and 6,000 pounds of food and diapers so far.

On the broader scale, The Freshwater Trust is also actively engaged in working with our forestry and conservation partners, including the USDA Forest Service and Blue Forest Conservation, to better understand the impacts of the Caldor fire in the upper Cosumnes watershed on these floods. In 2023, we will further support the integrated planning of fuel management, forest resilience, conservation buffers, and working lands in the effective management of this watershed in light of greater fire intensity, changing precipitation patterns, and the need to maintain vibrant rural and agricultural communities.

Anna Swenson, TFT Community Outreach Coordinator, assists with distributing emergency supplies in Yolo County.

Historic flooding has submerged farms, houses, roads and infrastructure in the Cosumnes watershed.

Livestock affected by flooding are being relocated from ranchland to bufferlands.