Valley Water is committed to reducing the risk of flooding to homes, businesses, and schools and improving the environment by working along creeks across Santa Clara County. This work includes removing sediment build-up, managing vegetation, clearing trash and debris, and stabilizing banks that have eroded during high water flows.
As part of this commitment, Valley Water completed bank repairs and rehabilitation work in the City of Cupertino along Calabazas Creek between Miller Avenue and Bollinger Road. Under the Calabazas Creek Bank Rehabilitation Project, Valley Water repaired and stabilized damaged creek bank sections along portions of Calabazas Creek to their as-built or natural condition.
Valley Water repairs and stabilizes the banks of Calabazas Creek
The work to repair and stabilize the banks of Calabazas Creek was completed in the fall of 2023, and the removal of invasive vegetation and planting of native plants along the creek from Bollinger Road to La Mar Drive was completed this October 2024. The contractor also placed large rocks at different sections along the creek.
Work to be completed: Nov. 2024 and Summer 2025
Work remains along certain sections of the creek. In mid to late November 2024, Valley Water will be on-site repairing and filling holes. In the summer of 2025, a contractor will return to repair three remaining erosion sites. Valley Water will notify neighbors of this work before the construction begins.
The completed project achieved the following:
- Minimizes future bank failure and potential damage to nearby properties.
- Minimizes impacts on water quality and riparian habitat associated with continued bank erosion.
- Reduces the need for ongoing maintenance.
- Maintains the existing level of flood protection.
October 2024
For more information:
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Ted Ibarra, Project Manager, (408) 630-2067
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Jose Villarreal, Neighborhood Liaison (408) 630-2879
General Information
Studies and Reports
- Final CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration (July 2021)
- Confirmed Project Plans
- Confirmed Specifications
- CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration Notice of Intent (September 2020)
- Draft CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration (September 2020)
- Draft CEQA Mitigated Negative Declaration Appendices (September 2020)
Under the Calabazas Creek Bank Rehabilitation Project, Valley Water will repair and stabilize damaged creek bank sections along portions of Calabazas Creek to their as-built or natural condition. Specifically, the project would repair and stabilize eroding channel banks at ten locations along the creek through either the installation of rock riprap to reconstruct the bank or sheet pile walls. By doing this, this project will help:
- Minimize future bank failure and potential damage to nearby properties.
- Minimize impacts on water quality and riparian habitat associated with continued bank erosion.
- Reduce the need for on-going maintenance.
- Maintain the existing level of flood protection.
This portion of Calabazas Creek features steep banks and several areas with minimal distance between the top of the bank and residential fence lines, which makes it vulnerable to bank erosion issues. In 2011, Valley Water completed construction on the Calabazas Creek Flood Protection Project along a 3.7 mile stretch of Calabazas Creek between Miller Avenue in Cupertino and Wardell Road in Saratoga. As part of that work, Valley Water repaired bank erosion along several sections of the creek that are also located within the current bank rehabilitation project area.
During recent inspections, Valley Water observed erosion, signs of bank failure and surfaces lacking cover from vegetation. Many of these issues were a result of the winter storms that occurred in late 2016 and early 2017. This project will fix these identified issues and their surrounding areas, which may include sites that overlap with the erosion repair sections previously identified in 2011.
