DATE: April 21, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Joe Prado, Director, Department of Public Health
Steven E. White, Director, Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Memorandum of Understanding with the California Department of Water Resources for Flood Fight Material Storage
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the County of Fresno for the storage of State-owned flood fight material at County Public Works and Planning yard locations, effective upon execution by DWR for one year and automatically renews for successive one-year terms unless terminated by either party ($0).
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will allow the County to support State and local flood emergency response efforts by providing secure locations for the pre-positioning of California Department of Water Resources (DWR) owned flood fight material (FFM) containers. The agreement formalizes roles and responsibilities related to the storage, access, and use of these materials and enhances regional flood response readiness when local resources have been exhausted. While the storage facilities are located within Districts 1 and 5, the impact is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, the County would not participate in the storage of State-owned FFM at County facilities. As a result, FFM may be less readily available during flood emergencies, which could impact local and regional flood response capabilities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The proposed MOU is a resource-sharing agreement that allows DWR to store FFM containers at County facilities.
DISCUSSION:
DWR is the lead State agency for flood emergency response and supports local efforts by storing materials necessary to conduct effective flood fights operations at locations throughout the State. As timely coordination is critical to saving lives and property during an emergency, DWR has developed a plan to pre-position FFM in pre-loaded containers for use by local agencies when their own resources have been drawn down or exhausted.
Under the proposed MOU, DWR will store five 20-foot long cargo containers at two strategic County locations:
• Three containers at 25411 W. Silveria Avenue, Tranquility, CA 93868.
• Two containers at 9525 E. Olive Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657.
While DWR retains ownership and control of the FFM, the materials are available to the County to augment local response efforts consistent with the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS). The County can access the inventory by notifying DWR’s Flood Operations Center. While stored at County facilities, these materials are also available for use by other local agencies or operational areas in the region if DWR deems it necessary. Any agency using the materials, including the County, is responsible for all handling and transportation from the facility to the destination.
The County is responsible for maintaining the value of the FFM by keeping the containers in a secure area and advising DWR of any maintenance concerns within 48 hours. The agreement requires the County to replace any used materials in-kind within six months of use.
The proposed MOU deviates from the County’s standard indemnification language and requires County to indemnify the State for any potential liability. The proposed MOU is for an initial term of one year and will automatically renew for additional successive one-year terms unless either party provides written notice of its intention to not to renew. Either party may terminate this proposed MOU at any time by giving written notice to the other party. Upon termination, DWR is required to remove the containers and their contents from the County facilities within 30 days of receipt of notice.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - MOU with DWR
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander