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Congressman Garamendi Thanks Mike Inamine, Executive Director of Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, during Congressional Hearing

March 9, 2017

Congressman Garamendi Thanks Mike Inamine, Executive Director of Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, during Congressional Hearing

Mr. Inamine has supervised the reinforcement of lifesaving levees along thirty miles of the Feather River, protecting local communities

Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, Davis, Yuba City) thanked Mike Inamine, the Executive Director of the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency, for his work with Sutter, Butte and Yuba Counties, and local levee districts to improve public safety though levee repair and flood fighting. Mr. Garamendi represents 150,000 people who were evacuated because of the possible failure of the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam. SBFCA’s repairs along 30 miles of Feather River Levees were instrumental in allowing discharges from Oroville to be made safely into the Feather River without the risk of flooding.

“You and your colleagues faced a difficult situation when the spillway failed, releasing extraordinary amounts of water down the Feather River through the area SBFCA is responsible for,” Garamendi said to Mr. Inamine. “You were one of many who stayed and fought flooding, even though you might have been under 20 feet of water had that emergency spillway actually failed. That was courageous and necessary. I want to congratulate you and those involved, for the work you’ve done, taking 30 miles of levees and upgrading them in a very rapid process. Had that not been done, there would have been lives lost. Congratulations, and thank you for your efforts.”