S.F. Bay to Highway 101

This initial capital project will implement much-needed conveyance improvements to protect people and property from flooding along a critical urban section of San Francisquito Creek, from Highway 101 to the San Francisco Bay.

The SFCJPA’s first major capital project is moving forward with an expedited design and environmental review process. When constructed, the project will provide increased flood protection for the East Palo Alto and Palo Alto communities along the flood-prone reach of San Francisquito Creek downstream (east) of U.S. Highway 101.

The project will ultimately improve stream flow from the downstream face of East Bayshore Road all the way to San Francisco Bay. It will reduce local flood risks during storm events, as well as provide the capacity needed for upstream flood protection projects being planned by the SFCJPA.

It will also be designed to provide ecological enhancements for the endangered and other species that call this watershed home, and to allow for new and improved trails for residents and visitors along the Creek and near S.F. Bay.

Increasing the creek’s flow capacity from San Francisco Bay to 101 will be achieved by:
Widening the Creek channel within the reach to convey peak flows for 100-year storm events
Removing an abandoned levee-type structure to allow flood flows from the Creek channel into the Palo Alto Baylands Preserve north of the Creek
Constructing an outlet structure for Caltrans’ enlargement of the Highway 101/East Bayshore Road Bridge over San Francisquito Creek

There are a number of factors that make this section of the creek the top priority the JPA’s flood management efforts:
• It is at highest risk of severe flooding from both fluvial (flows coming down from the hills) and tidal sources.
• It runs through communities that have experienced considerable damage and dislocation from previous flood events
• It is a necessary first step to providing comprehensive flood protection, as upstream flow improvements cannot be implemented until downstream capacity has been adequately increased.
• Lowering the water surface elevation through this reach has positive drainage effects upstream even before a project for that reach is constructed.
For these reasons and more, this initial project holds critical importance, both as a short-term flood protection measure with localized benefits and as a key piece of the JPA’s long-term comprehensive flood management strategy. Consequently, design of the SF Bay to Highway 101 project is on an accelerated schedule, with design and environmental review expected to be complete so that construction can begin in the summer of 2011.  Below is a timeline for the project. The Santa Clara Valley Water District and the San Mateo County Flood Control District have contributed funding for the design and environmental planning of the project, and the JPA is working with its member agencies to secure existing local funding from previous Bonds and Assessments for construction of the project.