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New plans for protection from floods shown off by district
By Steven Raphael
The phrase "wet and wild" has a radically different meaning for the Santa Clara Valley Water District than for most people. The district unveiled its proposed Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection plan at an open house last week. The plan proposes to restore and maintain the South Bay's own wetland wilderness--the natural habitats along county rivers and streams. The 15-year plan would also provide flood protection for homes, businesses and transportation networks in the Santa Clara Valley. To design the proposed plan, the district spent the last two years getting comments from communities on the needs, priorities and expectations of residents. Consequently, the plan has received support from 13 local governments and 19 other groups. It will likely be added to the November ballot for voter approval. If the plan is approved, an estimated $328 million will be applied toward flood protection. The funds will come from a special parcel tax, amounting to an average of $39 per year for each homeowner. This will replace a recently expired benefit assessment.
Both Cupertino and Sunnyvale stand to receive a good chunk of the funds SCVW is hoping will be allotted to them in order to carry out this plan. "Both communities are situated in a place where a lot of money will come to them because flooding is still a major problem," said SCVW general manager Kay Whitlock. The obvious reason the two communities are labeled "major flood zones" is that they are relatively flat compared to most of the neighboring towns which are located closer to the surrounding foothills, she said.
Most of the money Sunnyvale and Cupertino could receive from this plan will be put into flood protection. Other benefits include the improvement of trails and the removal of sediment from the half dozen creeks in this area.
A smaller plan within this big project is called the Sunnyvale East Project. This project is focused on cleaning the water in Sunnyvale East Creek. The project would affect both Sunnyvale and Cupertino because the Sunnyvale East Creek runs through both towns.
Other creeks slated for cleanup are Stevens, Calabasas, and Permenente Creeks in Cupertino and Calabasas and Saratoga Creeks in Sunnyvale.
When it comes to the subject of trail improvement, Whitlock says "we haven't designated specific trails for improvement yet. That depends on the cities and their people." She speculated, however, that Stevens Creek Trail in Cupertino and either the Saratoga Creek Trail or the San Tomas Aquino Trail in Sunnyvale would receive the most attention. Other specific attention will be paid to fishery restoration in areas of Cupertino and trash and graffiti cleanup in Sunnyvale.
The plan also calls for streams to be monitored for known pollutants that can infiltrate drinking water. Naturally occurring mercury and the pesticide byproducts of diazinon are two of the chemicals that the district will measure. The district is attempting to fund a program that will rid Los Gatos Creek of diazinon.
Another aspect of the plan involves measures to protect the natural qualities, scenic beauty and recreational opportunities associated with waterways. That includes tasks such as creek restoration, graffiti removal and pollution control.
"The degradation of the quality of creeks has been a byproduct of development," explained Mala Magill, another district spokesperson.
As the region has expanded, businesses and homes have been built closer and closer to creeks, which has prompted the removal of natural vegetation, Magill said.
Because of this, some animals are no longer able to reach the streams and some fish can't navigate increasingly clogged waterways. The district is also looking at opportunities to build and maintain trails along creeks, similar to the Los Gatos Creek Trail.
Di Marco said that one possible location to construct a recreational trail is San Tomas Aquino Creek, which runs parallel to the San Tomas Expressway. The creek could be transformed into a levy, which would be a more natural alternative to the current concrete-lined channel.
The plan calls for increased efforts to remove trash and debris from streams, clean graffiti from floodwalls and control erosion, which the district hopes will prevent streams from being blocked by sediment. Further efforts will be made to restore natural habitats.
District officials hope that replanting native trees and plant species will help animals and birds return to their original habitats. Other measures planned include a program for fish ladders to help fish navigate clogged streams.
"It's a quality of life issue," Magill said. "Do we really want to live in a community where the creeks are lined with concrete?"
For more information, visit www.heynoah.com, or call 408.265.2607, ext. 2423. Sunnyvale Sun reporter Daniel Hindin contributed to this report.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
