According to a report by SJV Water, flood preparedness across the San Joaquin Valley remains a fragmented hodgepodge, leaving critical “bald spots” and widespread confusion ahead of potential El Niño-fueled storms. While structured agencies like the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District maintain robust, coordinated drainage systems, most rural regions and unmanaged ephemeral streams—such as Mill Creek in Wonder Valley—lack overarching governance, leaving landowners and local businesses to navigate unclear levee maintenance and permitting responsibilities entirely on their own.
