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2012 D8: South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration Partnership*

About This Project

This project reuses local sediment from streams flowing into San Francisco Bay to create and rehabilitate habitat in the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration. Valley Water reuses sediment that has to be removed from streams to maintain their capacity to carry floodwaters. In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the clean sediment is applied to appropriate locations to improve the success of the South Bay Salt Ponds Restoration effort.

 

*This project was voter approved as part of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program.

Sediment Resued Build along Maintenance Road at Pond A8
Datapoints
Status
On Target
Location
Countywide
Schedule
Start FY 2014 / Finish FY 2028
Funding
Safe, Clean Water Fund ($4.4 million)
News and UpdatesNews and Updates
Reports and DocumentsReports and Documents
Environmental and Community BenefitsEnvironmental and Community Benefits
History and BackgroundHistory and Background
News & Updates

Key Performance Indicators for the Safe, Clean Water Program 

KPI #1: Establish agreement with FWS to reuse sediment at locations to improve the success of Salt Pond restoration activities. 

  • Completed in FY14.

  • In May 2019, Valley Water signed a new agreement with FWS to replace the initial agreement that was signed in March 2014. This new agreement allows continued delivery of the Stream Maintenance Program (SMP) sediments to assist FWS with their ecotone construction.

KPI #2: Construct site improvements up to $4 million to allow for transportation and placement of future sediment.

  • In 2020, approximately 9,300 cubic yards of soil from the SMP was stockpiled along the southern edge of Pond 8 to create a future 30:1 slope ecotone, a gentle slope that will be a good substrate for marsh vegetation to grow.

Updated February 2021 

For more information:

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Reports & Documents

No current documents. 

Environmental & Community Benefits

Key Performance Indicators for the Safe, Clean Water Program

  1. Establish agreement with FWS to reuse sediment at locations to improve the success of Salt Pond restoration activities.

  2. Construct site improvements up to $4 million to allow for transportation and placement of future sediment.

Benefits

  • Accelerates progress of an important tidal wetland restoration project

  • Reduces disposal costs for sediment that has been removed from local channels to maintain flood carrying capacity

  • Increases space availability in local landfills

Geographic Area of Benefit

Countywide 

 

    History & Background

    About the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program

    In November 2012 the voters of Santa Clara County overwhelmingly approved Measure B, the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, as a countywide special parcel tax for 15 years with a sunset date of June 30, 2028. This Program replaced the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan, which voters approved in November 2000.

    The Safe, Clean Water Program was developed with input from more than 16,000 residents and stakeholders and was created to match the community’s needs and values. The voters of Santa Clara County identified five priorities:

    Priority A: Ensure a Safe, Reliable Water Supply

    Priority B: Reduce Toxins, Hazards and Contaminants in our Waterways

    Priority C: Protect our Water Supply from Earthquakes and Natural Disasters

    Priority D: Restore Wildlife Habitat and Provide Open Space

    Priority E: Provide Flood Protection to Homes, Businesses, Schools and Highways

    Other: Six projects from the Clean, Safe, Creeks Plan have been carried forward into the Safe, Clean Water Program.  

    Each year, Valley Water prepares a report providing a progress update for each of these Program priorities, along with fiscal year accomplishments.

    To ensure transparency and accountability to the voters, the ballot measure also created an Independent Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors. The Independent Monitoring Committee annually reviews the Program’s progress to ensure the outcomes are achieved in a cost-efficient manner and reports its findings to the Board.

    In addition, the Program requires three independent audits, the first of which was conducted in FY 2017.

    View the Safe, Clean Water Program’s annual reports, annual IMC audit reports, and independent audits, including a staff response, on the Valley Water website.