The Wetlands and Floods The wetlands can be thought of as a huge natural sponge. They soak up extra water in the environment so it does not flood the other land. But if the wetlands are trashed or destroyed they cannot do what they are supposed to do. The water, because it has no wetland to soak in to, rises and floods the city, neighborhoods, streets, major roads and even I-40!

The maps show the 100-year flood plain and the 500-year flood plain around Walnut Creek and surrounding water bodies. These layers represent the areas that should flood if we have record levels of rain. This does not mean that if it floods in the 100-year flood plane it cannot flood for another 100 years; it may even flood again to that extent in a few months. The same applies to the 500-year flood plane.