Valley Water provides flood protection to homes, businesses, schools and highways in Santa Clara County. As part of our commitment, Valley Water will design and construct a seismic retrofit and rehabilitation of the existing Palo Alto Flood Basin (PAFB) Tide Gate Structure to extend the service life of the current structure up to an estimated 20 year timeframe. A long-term tide-gate replacement structure will be developed with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Phase II Project. The existing structure is located where the PAFB connects to the San Francisco Bay, one half mile northeast of the Byxbee Park parking lot on the Adobe Creek Loop Trail. The tide gate protects against coastal flooding and controls the downstream water levels for Matadero, Adobe and Barron creeks, which all drain to the PAFB. This project will continue to provide significant flood protection benefits to nearby homes, businesses and schools and a portion of U.S. Highway 101. Additionally, the project will continue to protect existing wildlife and habitat.
Project Background
The PAFB Tide Gate Structure was constructed in 1957. Due to its age and location in a corrosive marine environment, the tide gate structure is showing signs of deterioration, including spalled concrete and exposed reinforcement steel. Seepage was previously addressed by an emergency repair project in 2012. In 2017, Valley Water attempted minor maintenance repairs that would have extended the life of the structure. However, construction was suspended when difficulties were anticipated in dewatering the work area.
For public safety, a portion of Adobe Creek Loop Trail will be closed from October 6, 2025, to January 31, 2026.
Valley Water will begin construction of the Palo Alto Flood Basin Tide Gate Structure Seismic Retrofit and Rehabilitation Project, as part of our ongoing commitment to providing flood protection. The structure is located where the basin connects to the San Francisco Bay, half a mile northeast of the Byxbee Park parking lot on the Adobe Creek Loop Trail.
During construction, a portion of the Adobe Creek Loop Trail will be closed from October 6, 2025, to January 31, 2026. Flaggers will be present during the mobilization and demobilization of heavy equipment. Thank you for your patience with this temporary inconvenience.
This project is necessary to retrofit the tide gate to reduce seismic vulnerabilities, extend the structure’s service life, and enhance maintenance access. The tide gate structure keeps high tide waters out of the basin while allowing the basin to empty twice during the daily low tides. The tide gate structure is essential in preventing flooding in the lower reaches of Matadero, Adobe, and Barron creeks and inundation of wildlife habitats in the basin.
The total duration of 7 months, as reflected on the map, includes the second season of construction in Fall 2026.