Senator Alvarado-Gil Tours Catastrophic Flood Area
On Tuesday, January 17, Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, along with Chief Richard Dickinson of Calaveras Consolidated Fire, Board of Supervisors Chair Gary Tofanelli, and Calaveras OES Director John Osbourn toured the devastation in the Village Springs community of Calaveras County. To date, over 35 structures, including houses and commercial buildings have seen significant damage in the Valley Springs area alone.
“To see the catastrophic destruction resulting from the unrelenting storms first-hand, and the enormity of the impact this is having on both the residents and resources of Calaveras is devastating. I am committed to finding solutions that will not only help with the recovery process, but to prevent this degree of damage from occurring again in the future.”
Director Osbourn explained that Cosgrove Creek, which flows near Highway 26 has flooded several times over that last 25 years, and needs to be cleaned to allow space for normal water events to flow without causing extensive damage. However, this process has been stalled in the past due to environmental concerns about negatively impacting the habitat of the endangered Red Legged Frog that lives in the creek. The local HOA and the county will be meeting to discuss a resolution for this challenge and determine who bears the costs to prioritize and implement the clean-up efforts.
President Biden and Governor Newsom have declared select counties as Major Disaster areas but as of now Calaveras County is not on the list. As resident in Amador County, Alvarado-Gil understands 0the challenges that come with getting rural counties the attention needed to receive State and Federal aid. She expressed a desire to work closely with elected officials at both the State and County levels to help rectify this.
To learn more about Senator Alvarado-Gil please go to: https://sd04.senate.ca.gov/.
Senator Alvarado-Gil represents the 4th Senate District including the Counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada , Placer, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.
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