Partial levee collapse threatens San Joaquin County agriculture land, state of emergency issued
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY – San Joaquin County issued a state of emergency after a partial levee collapse that is now putting officials on edge.
If the levee on Victoria Island breaks, it could flood this entire island with 6,200 acres of agricultural land.
Victoria Island, home to thousands of acres of farms and fields in the southernmost part of the county, is under threat if this one levee holding back the rushing water of the Victoria Canal fails.
"What we call it is the mitigation measure," said Chris Neudeck, President of KSN Inc.
Neudeck and his company partnered with San Joaquin County to rush in excavators, bulldozers, mud, clay and rocks to try and plug the leak and stop the levee from giving way.
On Monday, Neudeck says an engineer with the water reclamation district spotted trouble.
"Two hours later, the levee had collapsed 3-4 feet and we had this big hole running straight through the levee," he said.
The worst-case scenario?
"Complete failure," responded Neudeck. "It's easy to say. Complete failure would put 6,200 acres of farmland in my foreground here under 18 feet of water."
Way off in the distance from the levee is Highway 4, a major corridor between Stockton and the Bay Area.
The worry for officials is if this levee completely collapses and fails, it will drown the highway in 10 feet of water in just 12 hours.
Water is still running through from under the levee, even after Neudeck and his team put $1 million of material and manpower into this temporary fix.
"It's reasonable, but by no means sustainable," he said.
That's why the Office of Emergency Services has turned to the state for help to reinforce the levee and stop any more damage.
"The resources that this district has have been expended," Neudeck said. "We can't go through a high tide cycle without keeping a close eye on it."
Some businesses in the area say they are worried about the levee failing.
They have their own equipment and will use it or move it if the situation gets worse, but obviously, they're hoping this gets solved.
