In January 1997, a levee burst and a flood destroyed the town of Arboga, California, killing three people, forcing 32,000 others from their homes, destroying property, damaging habitat, drowning 600 head of livestock, and covering 25,000 square miles with water. Given the poor condition of the levee, the tragedy was not unexpected. Since 1990, the Army Corps of Engineers had reported, "Loss of life is expected under existing conditions, without remedial repairs, for major flood events." But unfortunately for the residents of Arboga, the levee was home to 37 elderberry bushes, and the elderberry bush has been known to shelter the threatened North Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle. Although nobody had seen any North Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetles on any of the bushes, local officials were required to spend six years on studies that cost over $10 million and delayed permission to begin repairs until the summer of 1997, which as it turned out was several months after the flood occurred.

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