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HomeWater CodeDiv. 6Pt. 6Ch. 2Art. 2§ 12650 Merced County Flood Protection Plan

§ 12650 Merced County Flood Protection Plan

Water Code·California
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AI SummaryVerified

§ 12650 Merced County Flood Protection Plan

This law approves a plan to improve flood protection for certain streams in Merced County, California. It outlines specific projects like widening creek channels and building diversions to handle more water during floods.

Key Takeaways

  • •This law is about making creeks and rivers in Merced County safer during floods.
  • •It lists specific projects like widening creeks and building water diversions.
  • •Each project has a required water flow capacity measured in cubic feet per second (CFS).
  • •The goal is to protect homes, farms, and land from flood damage.

Example

Imagine a small town near a creek that floods every year, damaging homes and farms.

This law would help by making the creek wider and deeper so it can hold more water during heavy rains, reducing flooding in the town.

How to Calculate

The law specifies required water flow capacities for creeks and diversions, measured in cubic feet per second (CFS).

  1. Identify the creek or diversion from the list in the law.
  2. Find the required capacity in cubic feet per second (CFS) for that specific section of the creek or diversion.
  3. Ensure the construction or improvement meets or exceeds the required CFS capacity.

Engineers are working on the Bear Creek improvement project.

Result: The engineers must ensure this section of Bear Creek can handle at least 4,000 CFS of water flow to meet the law's requirements.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12650 Merced County Flood Protection Plan

The plan of improvement for flood protection on various streams in the Merced County Stream Group in the San Joaquin Valley is adopted and authorized substantially in accordance with recommendations of the Chief of Engineers in House Document Numbered 473, Seventy-eighth Congress, Second Session, at an estimated cost to the State of sixty-one thousand three hundred dollars ($61,300). Notwithstanding any estimated cost to the State contained in this section, local cooperation which shall be furnished by the State in connection with the plan of improvement for flood protection on various streams in the Merced County Stream Group in the San Joaquin Valley, adopted and authorized under this section shall include, without limitation as to the generality thereof: (a) Enlargement of the channel of Miles Creek to the extent indicated on Inclosure 3 of House Document Numbered 473, Seventy-eighth Congress, Second Session. (b) Acquisition of lands, easements and rights of way necessary for construction of the following diversions to the capacities indicated: (1) Owens Creek Diversion, 400 cubic feet per second. (2) Black Rascal Diversion, 3,000 cubic feet per second. (c) Providing the following channel capacities of the various creeks: (1) Burns Creek: 2,000 cubic feet per second on Burns Creek from its confluence with Bear Creek upstream to the section line common to Sections 3 and 10, T. 7 S., R. 15 E., M. D. B. & M. (2) Bear Creek: 2,000 cubic feet per second from its confluence with Burns Creek upstream to the section line common to Sections 11 and 12, T. 7 S., R. 15 E., M. D. B. & M.; 4,000 cubic feet per second from its confluence with Black Rascal Creek Diversion upstream to its confluence with Burns Creek; 7,000 cubic feet per second from its confluence with the head of Black Rascal Slough to the Black Rascal Creek Diversion; not less than 3,100 cubic feet per second from its confluence with the lower end of Black Rascal Slough to the confluence with the head of Black Rascal Slough, so that the combined capacity of Bear Creek and Black Rascal Slough is not less than 7,000 cubic feet per second; 7,000 cubic feet per second from the section line common to Sections 2 and 3, T. 8 S., R. 12 E., M. D. B. & M., upstream to the confluence of Bear Creek with the lower end of Black Rascal Slough. (3) Black Rascal Slough: Not less than 3,900 cubic feet per second and so that the combined capacity of Black Rascal Slough and Bear Creek is not less than 7,000 cubic feet per second. (4) Miles Creek: 1,000 cubic feet per second from the Merced-El Nido Highway upstream to the section line common to Sections 25 and 26, T. 7 S., R. 15 E., M. D. B. & M. (5) Owens Creek: 400 cubic feet per second from Owens Creek Diversion to the bridge crossing at the section line common to Sections 29 and 30, T. 7 S., R. 16 E., M. D. B. & M. (6) Mariposa Creek: 1,000 cubic feet per second from Owens Creek Diversion upstream to the bridge located in SW. 1/4 of Section 10, T. 8 S., R. 16 E., M. D. B. & M.; 1,250 cubic feet per second from El Nido Highway upstream to Owens Creek Diversion. (Amended by Stats. 1953, Ch. 1118.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

flood protectionMerced County Stream GroupSan Joaquin Valleychannel capacitiesdiversions

Related Statutes

  • § 12648.2 Sacramento River Flood Protection
  • § 12648.7 Feather River Flood Protection
  • § 12649.1 Sacramento River Flood Protection
  • § 12656.5 Middle Creek Flood Protection
  • § 12660 Isabella Reservoir Authorization

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Water Code. Section 12650.
View Official Source