Where the People Own the Water and the Power

The City of Biggs is a full-service, general law city with a population of 1,800 located in the fertile farmlands of the Sacramento Valley about an hour north of Sacramento.  Known as the "heart of rice country," Biggs is approximately 25 miles south of the City of Chico and 25 miles north of Yuba City, just off State Route 99, at an elevation of 93 feet.   Biggs is approximately four miles north of the City of Gridley. View map.

In addition to providing municipal police, fire and public works services, the city also operates its own electric utility.  Biggs partners with the City of Gridley for police, animal control and electric utility maintenance services and with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) for fire services. The current annual budget is $8.5 million, with a full-time workforce of 10 positions.  View more.

Flood Insurance Update

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is currently preparing to publish new flood zone maps.  The preliminary maps were published June 19 showing Biggs as now -- for the first time -- being in a flood zone.  This is because it is now federal policy to treat river levees as if they don't exist unless and until they are certified as meeting federal standards.

State and county and city officials are working hard to try to change, slow down or stop this map project as it relates to Biggs.  The result of being in a flood zone is likely to be federally-required expensive flood insurance for most homeowners.  You would need to get this insurance by spring of 2010.  Levee certification and upgrades could cost billions of dollars and many years to accomplish.

The City of Biggs encourages you to be informed and involved in this flood map process.  Announcements and public meetings about this issue will be made in local papers and on this city website.

For more information from the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency: http://www.sutterbutteflood.org/