The Napa River Basin, California

Napa County has experienced flash floods that resulted in deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Napa and surrounding counties opted for a restorative flood mitigation approach to address environmental issues while increasing flood resiliency. The project design aimed to return the river to its natural state to prevent flooding. This project removed bridges that blocked natural flow, moved a railroad out of the floodplain, terraced the riverbank, restored floodplain pastureland, and built low flood walls and tiered levees to reduce flood risk. This project also improved habitat for birds and other wildlife and created recreational opportunities for local communities.