UPPER PENITENCIA CREEK

INVESTIGATIONS

PROJECT LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION

Upper Penitencia Creek is located in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. The project is intended to reduce flood damage in San Jose and Milpitas. Alternatives under consideration for this 3.6-mile reach include a combination of flood-proofing at the upstream limit, levees, floodwalls, and bypass channels.

FY 16 accomplishments (based on the availability of Work Plan funds)

• Re-scoping charette.
• SMART Planning (3x3x3) Compliance MFR.

FY 17 accomplishments (based on the availability of Work Plan funds)

• Alternatives Milestone Conference.

ISSUES AND OTHER INFORMATION

• The Santa Clara Valley Water District is the Non-Federal Sponsor (NFS).

• This project did not receive funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), Title IV, Pub. L. No. 111-5, 123 Stat. 115, Feb. 17, 2009.

• Alternatives Milestone held Feb 2014, but was not successful because new information came to light, to include NFS desire to incorporate eco-restoration purpose, and reluctance to lose water rights and storage capacity. Not possible to incorporate additional purpose with original funding and schedule, thus 3x3x3 compliance memo could not be completed.

• Agency Working Group meeting held in Nov 2015, during which the NFS insisted that they could not support a single-purpose project; they can only support a multi-purpose project that includes eco-restoration. Current SPN assessment is that there are no opportunities for eco-restoration; only enhancement.

• Re-scoping charette needed to evaluate potential for truncating and reducing the project's flood risk management scope both in terms of geographic scope and level(s) of protection, as well as identifying opportunities for eco-restoration.

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST

• 17^th District, Rep. Mike Honda
• 19^th District, Rep. Zoe Lofgren

POINT OF CONTACT

• Deputy for Project Management, Arijs A. Rakstins, (415) 503-6720.

Updated on 22 February 2016