Sukut Construction Performs Lower Elkhorn Basin Interior Drainage Contract for the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency By Brian Hoover, Senior Editor
T
he Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback (LEBLS) project is part of the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP). It is also the first multi-benefit flood management project developed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) in the Yolo Bypass. The LEBLS project will upgrade a critically important component of the aging Sacramento River flood management system by providing additional capacity and resiliency to the Yolo Bypass. The project
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will also serve to enhance the regional ecosystem and support sustainable agriculture. LEBLS represents an essential first step toward implementing a system-wide approach to flood management in the Sacramento Valley. The primary feature of this project is the new seven-mile-long setback levee that is intended to increase the flood-carrying capacity of both the Yolo and Sacramento Bypasses. This new levee will also make future improvements to other flood
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Photos provided by Sukut Construction
structures like the Fremont and Sacramento Weirs possible, allowing for more floodwater from the Sacramento and American Rivers to flow into the Yolo Bypass. The LEBLS project cost is approximately $385 million and is the first step in the total Phase 1 project cost of $715 million. The LEBLS project began in July of 2020, and construction is expected to continue for several years. The job will utilize multiple contractors and project partners such as Sukut Construction (Sukut). C A LCO N T R AC TO R .CO M
