A quiet Pass Road runs east to west through the south foothills of the Sutter Buttes in Sutter County. Damage to a section of the road, caused by flooding, near the western border of the county has taken years to acquire permits to repair, Sutter County officials say. Jake Goodrick jgoodrick@sacbee.com Pass Road does just what it sounds like. The two-lane thoroughfare cuts through the south end of the Sutter Buttes, clearing a straight-line pass through foothills of what’s known as the world’s smallest mountain range, often used for farm workers to move quickly from one side of the buttes to the other. The road saves workers time while keeping large farm equipment like tractors off the more heavily trafficked Highway 20 to the south. But winter storms nearly three years ago caused flooding on a western stretch of the road, revealing structural damage and closing that section until a temporary fix was put in place. The cost of a long-term fix has fallen on Sutter County amid its recent budget shortfall while the permitting processes have slowed down its timeline. Sutter County officials say the stalled repairs to Pass Road show the struggle in cutting through state and environmental permitting requirements and securing funding for unexpected road needs. Now they hope they’ve found a way to curb that problem in the future. By recently accepting a Caltrans grant to study the effects of climate change on the Live Oak Canal and Gilsizer Drainage District in northern Sutter County, county officials expect to have access to future funds to address damaged roads and infrastructure throughout the county. What’s the problem? Nearly 70% of Sutter County is within a floodplain – more than twice the percentage of any other California county – leaving much of the land outside of population […]