Publication Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Getting the feds involved in flood control tough
Getting the feds involved in flood control tough
(March 30, 2005) Local officials try to expand scope of project to gain partnership with Army Corps
by Bill D'Agostino
The federal government's consent to partner on plans for a flood-control project along the San Francisquito Creek is not easy for local officials to obtain.
Much of the creek's banks are privately owned and, due to the area's high property values, the project may prove too costly for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There are also sensitive environmental issues, including threatened steelhead trout that travel the natural watershed, under consideration.
But by adding a second, simpler component to the complex project, the local flood-control agency hopes the federal government will be more inclined to ultimately agree to the investment.
Last week, the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (JPA) considered expanding its mission well beyond the creek to include helping protect local residents in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto from the threat of tidal flows.
There are an estimated 750 homeowners in Palo Alto that pay for flood insurance to protect against the possibility that the San Francisco Bay will flood their properties during storms and high tides. Those homeowners, and nearby businesses, such as the Palo Alto airport and municipal golf course, could get relief if the JPA chooses to accept the Army Corps' offer to include tidal-flow protection in its mission.
Projects securing protection from tidal flows are occurring throughout the Bay Area, part of the Coastal Conservancy's planned restoration of 25 square miles of salt ponds in the South Bay.
The JPA was not initially created to deal with such tidal-flow issues. It was formed after the San Francisquito Creek jumped its banks in 1998, causing an estimated $28 million in damage to dozens of homes in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.
The agency's leaders, with help from Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, first got approval to begin studying the creek for a possible federal project in June 2002. Funding for the ongoing study requires new Congressional approval each year.
To eventually partner on a construction project for the creek, the Army Corps' study will need to conclude that the high cost of the project has large monetary gain, according to Cynthia D'Agosta, the JPA's executive director.
By folding the tidal-flow project -- a simpler project because it involves land already held by public agencies -- into the larger flood-control project, JPA leaders hope the Army Corps' cost/benefit analysis will become more favorable.
"That could be a big benefit for us," D'Agosta said.
At last week's meeting, JPA board members were receptive to the Army Corps' new offer, although they had numerous questions about it, D'Agosta said.
The biggest potential pitfall is the possibility that the tidal-flow portion of the project would slow the timing for the creek portion of the project, which residents have been clamoring for since the 1998 flood.
"I don't think it will slow our project down at all," D'Agosta predicted.
At its next meeting on April 28, the JPA board could officially accept or reject the new offer.
Even if the JPA turns the Army Corps' offer down, Palo Alto will likely get relief from tidal flooding, D'Agosta acknowledged. The Santa Clara Valley Water District has agreed to help Palo Alto and other Santa Clara County cities build higher levees for tidal protections, she said.
However, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto may not be so lucky. The San Mateo County flood-control agency declined the Army Corps' offer to partner on a tidal-flow project earlier this year. That's why the Army Corps initially asked the JPA if it was interested. The JPA could also agree to help Redwood City, another San Mateo County city currently lacking a local sponsor for the Army Corps' project.
Staff Writer Bill D'Agostino can be e-mailed at bdagostino@paweekly.com.
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