NEWS RELEASE

Date: Aug. 5, 2002

Construction begins on flood protection project for Palo Alto and East Palo Alto

PALO ALTO - Construction crews are today beginning work on a flood protection project along San Francisquito Creek in Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, ushering in a new era of regional cooperation, said Gregory A. Zlotnick, a member of the Santa Clara Valley Water District board of directors who represents the City of Palo Alto.

Coordinated by the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, the $3 million project is part of a collaborative effort by various public agencies, including the Santa Clara Valley Water District, to ensure comprehensive management of the creek that runs through three cities and falls into several jurisdictions.

"I am very pleased that this project will be able to move forward, both for the residents of Palo Alto and East Palo Alto. It is an important step in the work of the JPA as we move forward toward a long-term project for San Francisquito Creek," said Zlotnick, who also serves on the JPA board of directors.

Empowered to protect and maintain the 14-mile San Francisquito Creek and its 45- square-mile watershed, the San Francisquito Creek JPA is comprised of representatives from the five public agencies most affected by the creek - the water district, San Mateo County Flood Control District, and the cities of Palo Alto, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto.

"It was extremely important that we cooperated because no single entity could do a flood protection project without impacting the others," said Palo Alto Vice Mayor Dena Mossar. "It was difficult because we had never done this before. But we succeeded and it was an extremely worthwhile experience, which, we hope, would make it a little easier next time," said Mossar, who is also the Palo Alto representative on the JPA board of directors.

The project will increase flood-flow capacity within San Francisquito Creek by restoring the levees south of U.S. 101 to the height they were originally built in 1958. The project will add nearly two feet of earthen material to the top of the levee, which has settled and eroded due to four decades of ground subsidence and normal wear.

In addition, the water district will replace a 1,100 foot section of a temporary floodwall north of U.S. 101 with a permanent structure that will include increased height and a proper foundation.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District will restore the levee on the Palo Alto side, while the City of East Palo Alto will carry out construction on its side. The work is being conducted in a coordinated manner to ensure that construction on one side of the creek does not increase the risk of flooding on the other side of the creek. Of the total $1.9 million construction cost, the water district and Palo Alto will bear about $1.6 million, with the San Mateo County Flood Control District, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park contributing approximately $350,000.

Underlining the significance of the project, East Palo Alto Mayor Duane Bay said, "It is the first major visible success of the JPA and demonstrates our ability to do joint work. It bodes well for the larger, more expensive and more complex business of flood control and watershed vitality."

Although the project restores San Francisquito Creek's levees to their original elevation, it does not provide protection from a 100-year flood (the flood that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year). The JPA is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a long-term plan that will address greater flood protection.

The San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority was formed in 1999 to address community concerns regarding flooding and environmental preservation of the creek. The JPA's formation followed flooding in February 1998 that affected some 1,700 households and caused an estimated $28 million in damage, making it the most costly flood in Santa Clara County history.