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Pumping stormwater into south Sacramento park combats flooding, officials say

In what city officials describe as a "surge basin," Munger's Lake in Reichmuth Park helps prevent flooding since there are no water vaults in South Sacramento.
Credit: Dolores Greenslate / Sacramento Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society
Reichmuth Park, the site of Munger’s Lake, is shown in its flooded state.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Munger's Lake in the south area of Sacramento was partially filled after the California Gold Rush of the 1800s to create a neighborhood park, but Sacramento officials also found a new use for the lake — flood control.

One way to keep the city's water system from flooding during heavy rain is by moving stormwater into Munger's Lake, now part of Reichmuth Park on 6135 Gloria Drive.

"There are nearby pump stations and pipes that move stormwater within our systems and in the case of a large storm, Reichmuth Park is designed to fill with stormwater, which adds extra capacity to the nearby system,” said Eliason.

The stored rainwater can be moved right back into the system.

Since there's no water vaults in the south area of Sacramento, utility officials look to "detention basins" to serve not only as flood control but to preserve stormwater quality, too.

Water control systems in Sacramento include:

  • Water vaults (underground storage facility)
  • Detention basins (above-ground storage facility)
  • Surge basins (additional above-ground storage facility)
  • Storm water quality basins
  • In-line storage (underground pipes)

"All of these systems are necessary parts of an effective drainage system designed to prevent flooding and improve the quality of stormwater – which can carry urban pollutants – before it is sent to the river or a wastewater treatment plant," said Sacramento Utilities spokesperson Carlos Eliason.

Reichmuth Park would be considered a surge basin that also preserves storm water quality, to the surprise of many longtime residents familiar with Munger Lake's rich history.

"When it's dry, it's all grass behind the (Sacramento Fire Station 13). And there's a little picnic area as well as a baseball field," longtime resident Ralph R. Nevis told ABC10. "Then the water just puddles there until it eventually stops raining."

According to the Sacramento Portuguese Historical and Cultural Society (SPHCS) historians Dolores Greenslate and Lance Armstrong, early owners of the lake dealt with devastating flooding that destroyed their crops.

Because the lake was only partially filled during the development of Reichmuth Park and not leveled off, SPHCS historians say stormwater continues to flood across the area during heavy rain.

WATCH MORE: California Storm Watch | Folsom Dam releases water to help prevent flooding

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