Every fall there are the reminders that winter is coming. Leaves change colors and start to fall; clouds gather and sprinkle us with rain; and, if you are around Cal Expo, you'll see crews of levee maintenance personnel and flood fighters flock to the annual Flood Fight Training along the American River levee. You will see new recruits and old hands training to properly fill and install sand bags and practice other necessary tasks like applying plastic wave wash protection to levee slopes.

Each year the District's crew as well as the crew of the County of Sacramento and other local levee maintenance districts gather for training in Flood Fight Techniques. This training is provided by the State of California's Department of Water Resources and the trainers are veterans of flood fight situations all across the state.

These lessons learned may help us meet problems in the next inevitable high water event in Sacramento. We are truly fortunate to have them share their expertise with our staff and others in the flood control community.