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Water district project to focus on channels running through Cupertino, Sunnyvale

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on March 20, 2009 at 6:15 am

From the San Jose Mercury News:

California may be in a drought, but the Santa Clara Valley Water District isn’t overlooking the dangers of severe flooding. District officials held a meeting March 11 at Ellis Elementary School to update Sunnyvale and Cupertino residents on a multimillion-dollar project that would update two water channels that run through both cities.

The water district plans to implement improvements in flood protection, erosion control, water quality, sediment reduction, and environmental and recreational enhancements like trails along the Sunnyvale east and west channels. The goal is to prevent an estimated $32 million in damages in the event of a 100-year flood (a 1 percent chance in any given year that such a flood will occur). During a 100-year flood, water overflows its banks and floods the surrounding area.

The two channels flow south to north draining portions of Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Cupertino and unincorporated Santa Clara County into the Guadalupe Slough. The west channel runs upstream from Highway 101 to the slough and is about 3 miles long. The east channel runs from Interstate 280 in Cupertino to the slough and spans about 6 miles, according to the district.

Project manager Melissa Carter compared the project to a house that is the sum of many parts. “A house is made up of many elements like walls, windows, doors and a roof,” she said. “This project is similar.”

Read more from the San Jose Mercury News by clicking here.

March 20, 2009 · Filed Under Stormwater & Urban Runoff

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