Yolo Bypass: Managing a floodplain for multiple uses

Collaborators

Robyn Suddeth (Project Contact)

Jay R. Lund (Project Contact)

Project Description

This study will present a decision-making framework for balancing ecosystem and economic goals on the Yolo Bypass, a promising site for habitat restoration in the San Francisco Bay-Delta system. The bypass's primary purpose is to provide flood control for Sacramento, but it's also used for farming, duck hunting and bird-watching. We're developing an optimilization model to explore when, where and how floodwaters might most economically be applied to manage all the diverse activities.

The video (above) demonstrates our application of a newly developed flood simulation software (HEC-RAS-2D) to the Yolo Bypass. The model will help us determine whether solutions from the optimization analysis are realistic. If an optimal solution calls for engineered modifications to the floodplain, we can use the model to test the effects of those potential changes. The decision-making framework and tools we develop will be applicable to other floodplain restoration efforts in California and elsewhere.