HomeMy WebLinkAbout1996-09-26 City Council (7)City of PMo A to
Manager’s
TO:HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
FROM:CITY MANAGER DEPARTMENT: Public Works
DATE:September 26, 1996 CMR:415:96
SUBJECT:Status Report on Santa Clara Valley Water District Creek
Maintenance Activities
REQUEST
This is an informational report on the status of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s creek
maintenance activities in Palo Alto, and no Council action is required.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This report does not contain any changes to existing City policies.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Throughout Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara Valley Water District (District) is
responsible for maintenance of those creeks and flood control channels for which they have
property Ownership or easement rights. In Palo Alto, the District maintains portions of
Adobe, Barron, Matadero and San Francisquito Creeks. Typical maintenance activities
include debris and sediment removal, erosion control, structure maintenance and vegetation
management. District staff strives to conduct a maintenance program that balances flood
control objectives with environmental protection.
The accumulation of sediment in local creeks has been a recurring maintenance problem,
particularly in the lower creek reaches near the Bayshore Freeway. The sediment build-up
restricts stream flow and causes the creeks to flow at a higher level. The high creek levels
in turn cause back-ups in portions of the City’s storm drain system that flow directly to the
creeks by gravity. The sediment can also partially block pipeline outfalls into the creeks,
restricting the flow of storm runoff.
In October 1995, staff reported to Council on the status of the District’s creek maintenance
activities and its attempts to acquire regulatory agency approvals for creek sediment removal
(CMR:458:95). After receiving clarification that sediment removal from concrete-lined
CMR:415:96 Page 1 of 3
channels is exempt from regulatory permitting requirements, the District removed over
10,000 cubic yards of sediment from Adobe and Matadero Creeks in Fall 1995. This
exemption do~s not apply, however, to San Francisquito Creek or the unlined reach of
Matadero Creek between Greer Road and the Bayshore Freeway; and the District is still
awaiting approvals to remove sediment from these creeks. The District is not likely to
receive permit approval for sediment removal from unlined creeks until Spring 1997. In the
interim, the District will focus its maintenance activities on the concrete-lined channels.
Over one foot of sediment has accumulated within Matadero Creek between Louis Road and
Greer Road since last year’s maintenance efforts. The District’s maintenance guidelines for
Matadero Creek stipulate that sediment should be removed when it reaches a depth of one
foot in order to maintain channel capacity. Therefore, District crews have recently begun
removing sediment from this reach of the creek. The work is expected to take approximately
one week to complete.- This maintenance activity will require the use of heavy equipment
such as loaders and dump tracks within the creek channel. The sediment will be loaded into
trucks and hauled off-site. Prior to the start of the work, Public Works staff and the Mayor
met with District maintenance personnel and interested local residents to discuss the
residents’ concerns about the impacts of the work on the creek ecosystem. Staff will
continue to coordinate with District personnel as required to facilitate the work and minimize
its impacts. Staff will return to Council with another status report when more information
is available regarding the scope and timing of sediment removal from San Francisquito Creek
and other unlined creeks.
FISCAL IMPACT
The sediment removal work described in this report will be funded by the District.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
The District is the lead-agency for environmental review of creek maintenance activities for
purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). District staff regard
Matadero Creek sediment removal as maintenance of existing facilities and have determined
it to be categorically exempt in accordance with Section 15301 of the CEQA guidelines. In
addition, the District has obtained the regulatory agency clearances required to conduct the
work described in this report.
ATTACHMENT
Map of Matadero Creek sediment removal site
PREPARED BY: George Bagdon, Assistant Director of Public Works
CMR:415:96 Page 2 of 3
DEPARTMENT HEAD REVIEW:
~. ROBERTS
Director of Public Works
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
BERNARD M. STROfNYC
Assistant City Manager
Kay Whitlock, Santa Clara Valley Water District
Marc Klemencic, Santa Clara Valley Water District
Debbie Mytels, Midtown Residents Association
Bonnie Packer, Palo Verde Neighborhood Association
Linda Frost
CMR:415:96 Page 3 of 3