Valley Water is dedicated to keeping residents and businesses safe through its flood protection programs. The Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project will provide 100-year flood protection to approximately 1,820 homes, schools and businesses in Milpitas.
When complete, the Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project will provide new floodwalls, improved levees, and widened creek channels to accommodate high flows. This is in addition to enhanced and enlarged tidal and freshwater wetlands and riparian habitat.
The Lower Calera Creek Flood Protection Project is considered part of the larger collection of flood protection improvements under the Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project.
The flood protection improvements along Lower Berryessa Creek between Abel Street to Calaveras Boulevard were completed in July 2020. Construction on the Lower Calera Creek segment of the project, located between the VTA/BART rail crossing and about 800 feet upstream of Arizona Avenue, is expected to begin by May 2021 and proceed for two years through December 2022.
Residents living near the Lower Calera segment of the project will receive a mailer with construction details.
The following are past work notices.
- 2019 Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project - Phase 2 Remediation Work Notice (Spring 2019)
- 2019 Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project - Phase 2 Lower Calera Creek Design Update Notice (Summer 2019)
Updated October 2020.
- 2019 Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project - Phase 2 Remediation Work Notice (Spring 2019)
- 2019 Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project - Phase 2 Lower Calera Creek Design Update Notice (Summer 2019)
- Lower Berryessa Creek 2018 Pre-construction notice
- Lower Berryessa Creek Project FAQ (Updated August 2018)
- Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
- Addendum (July 2018) Redesign of Reaches A and B of the Lower Calera Creek Element
- Lower Berryessa Creek Fact Sheet
- Calera Creek Fact Sheet
- Tularcitos Creek Fact Sheet
The Santa Clara Valley Water District's Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project, when completed, will protect 2,447 parcels in Milpitas from the threat of a 100-year flood event, which has a 1-in-100 chance of occurring in any given year. The Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project includes both the Upper Berryessa Creek portion and the Lower Berryessa Creek portion.
The Lower Berryessa Creek portion of the project, which includes Calera and Tularcitos creeks, will protect 1,823 properties in Milpitas, between Milpitas High School and E. Calaveras Boulevard (north to south) and the Union Pacific Railroad to Highway 680 (east to west).
The Lower Berryessa Creek Flood Protection Project extends approximately 1.7 miles through the city of Milpitas, from its confluence with Lower Penitencia Creek, south to Calaveras Boulevard. The project also includes about 2.1 miles of Calera and Tularcitos creeks. These two smaller creeks are tributaries to Berryessa Creek and must also be modified to prevent water from overflowing their banks. When complete, this project will protect vast portions of the City of Milpitas from flood events.
Phase 1 - Completed
This phase stretches along Lower Berryessa Creek, from the confluence at Lower Penitencia Creek to Abel Street. The construction of Phase 1 was completed in December 2016. On the east and north sides of the creek, the flood protection improvements included earthen levees. On the west and south sides of the creek, they included concrete floodwalls. Revegetation of freshwater wetlands was also established within the creek channel.
Completed floodwall and levee near Gill Memorial Park in Milpitas
Phase 2 - Lower Berryessa Creek (between Abel and Calaveras) completed Summer 2020. Lower Calera Creek to begin Summer 2021.
This phase has two segments. The first segment of Phase 2 is along Lower Berryessa Creek, stretching from Abel Street to Calaveras Boulevard. The flood protection improvements for this segment includes improved earthen levees on the north side of the creek and concrete floodwalls on the south side of the creek. A riparian habitat area was also included within the creek channel. Major construction activities were completed in 2018, but construction crews have returned this summer to perform levee remediation work. The second segment of Phase 2 is along Lower Calera Creek, stretching from the Lower Berryessa Creek confluence to Milpitas High School. The flood improvements for this segment include a raised U-frame channel and concrete floodwalls on both banks of the creek. In addition to these flood protection improvements, wetlands with native vegetation will be created within the Lower Calera Creek channel.
The flood protection improvements along Lower Berryessa Creek between Abel Street to Calaveras Boulevard were completed in July 2020. Construction on the Lower Calera Creek segment of the project, located between the VTA/BART rail crossing and about 800 feet upstream of Arizona Avenue, is expected to begin by May 2021 and proceed for two years through December 2022.
Typical cross-section of Phase 2 channel improvements (facing south)
Phase 3 - Planning
Phase 3 of this project stretches along Upper Calera Creek and Tularcitos Creek. The flood risk reduction options for this phase are currently being studied, and the potential funding sources are in the process of being identified. Once this planning phase is completed, Valley Water will obtain the necessary permitting from regulatory agencies before starting construction on Phase 3.