Flood protection project
Lower Guadalupe River
Project goal:
To provide flood protection for businesses
and residences,
protect endangered species, preserve fish and migratory bird habitat,
and to minimize long term maintenance costs
Check here for:
Project contact:
For more information about this project, contact:
Tim Bramer, Senior Engineer,
Gaudalupe Watershed, Santa Clara Valley Water
District, at (408) 265-2600.
Description of the project
The Santa Clara Valley Water District began construction in early April
2003 on the Lower Guadalupe River Flood Protection project. This much anticipated
flood protection project will prepare the channels to handle storm water
runoff in the event of a 100-year flood*,
protect endangered species, preserve fish and migratory bird habitat
and allow for open-space recreation.
The water district will make flood protection improvements
and mitigation planting along 6.5 miles of the Guadalupe River from
the I-880 bridge north to the Alviso Marina County Park. The project construction has been divided into reaches by the
type of work being planned for each section. (See
the project map)
Construction will begin with the downstream reaches and
continue upstream for a period of four years. The levee-top trails in
each section will be closed during construction of that particular phase.
(See trail closure
notice).
Project work will include: construction of floodwalls
or raising levees along the river banks; replacement of the HWY 237
eastbound bridge (bridge construction will begin August 2003);
modification of 19 storm drain outfalls; improvement and construction
of maintenance roads and undercrossings; construction of an overflow
weir to divert high flows into
one of the salt ponds; improvement of the west perimeter levee around
Alviso and construction of grade-control weirs (gradual drops in the
stream elevation).
The construction work will occur in seven stages starting
with Reach G to Reach A:
• Reach G: Hwy 237 to UPRR bridge in Alviso
• Reach F: Tasman Drive to Hwy 237
• Reach E: Hetch Hetchy Aquaduct to Tasman Dr.
• Reach D: Montague Expwy. to the Hetch Hetchy
• Reach C: Trimble Road to Montague Expressway
• Reach B: U.S. 101 to Trimble
• Reach A: I-880 to U.S.101
The project will also feature enhancements, which include:
future recreation and trail extensions on project levees; sediment and
vegetation management plans in project area; temporary pumps in the
salt ponds after major storms to reduce the depth and duration of storm-related
flooding in the ponds; management of vegetation in the river channel
near the UPRR bridge; strengthening the levees separating the salt ponds;
and planting of native vegetation.
Although measures will be taken to minimize construction
impacts, residents and businesses in the project area may be impacted.
The project will require large amounts of equipment,
material and personnel to complete it on schedule. Heavy equipment and
trucks will be entering and leaving the project site at most river crossings
and will include the Alviso marina,
Gold Street, Tasman Drive, Montague Expressway, Trimble Road, Airport
Boulevard and Airport Parkway. Traffic control will be provided at these
areas.
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Project timeline
(updated May 2006)
The current schedule for the Lower Guadalupe River Project
is:
-
Completed planning and design by May 2002
-
Initiated construction in April 2003
-
Completed Highway 237 Eastbound Bridge Replacement in January 2007
-
Complete channel improvements construction by December
2007.
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Project status
(updated May 2006)
Work began April 15, 2003. Construction will take four
years and is scheduled to be completed by December 2007.
Flood protection improvements were substantially completed in December 2004. The Highway 237 Eastbound Bridge replacement was completed in January 2007. A portion of mitigation planting and maintenance access ramps in the channel and under Highway 101 and Airport Parkway bridges are scheduled for completion in December 2007.
Normal work hours will be weekdays between the hours of
7 a.m. and 5 p.m. It may also be necessary for occasional work to occur
on weekends between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
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Flooding history
Since World War II, 15 floods have occurred along the
Guadalupe River. The flood in 1955 was the worst in recorded history
Most recently floods have occurred in 1982, 1983, 1986, 1995.
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*100-year flood
Also called a 1% flood, a storm event which has a one-percent
chance of occuring during any given year
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