San Rafael, CA – The final environmental impact report (EIR) for the Corte Madera Creek Flood Risk Management Project has been released and is now available online. The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors will vote to certify the final EIR at the public session on August 17 and to approve the recommended project that was selected in the process.
The report presents an analysis of the environmental impacts of the potential flood mitigation project intended to reduce the frequency and severity of flooding, and to protect life and property in the communities of Ross, Kentfield and Larkspur. The final EIR also addresses the public comments submitted on the draft report, which was released in February 2021.
The District hosted two community workshop meetings in June 2020, conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those sessions provided an overview of the Corte Madera Creek Flood Risk Management Project, including potential design concepts and timelines. A public scoping meeting was held online in August 2020 to solicit input for the draft EIR. Comments received during the scoping period were addressed in the draft EIR. A web-based hearing on the adequacy of the draft EIR was conducted by the District Board of Supervisors in March 2021.
The report looked at four alternative projects and found that “Alternative 1” both met the goals of the project and garnered the most support by the community and stakeholders, which warranted the recommendation to move forward. By implementing various mitigation measures identified in the final EIR, the recommended project’s impacts would be successfully eliminated or reduced to less than significant under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
The recommended project, which goes to the District Board for certification on August 17, would reduce the risk of a 25-year-level flood by varying degrees along 1.4 miles of Corte Madera Creek in the Town of Ross and unincorporated Kentfield, as well as enhance natural stream functions and creek habitat. Construction could start as early as March 2022.
This work would include removal of a portion of the concrete channel downstream of Stadium Way bridge, expanding the natural floodplain, and would restore tidal marsh habitat along the section. The old wooden fish ladder at the upstream end of the concrete channel in Ross would also be removed as part of this work. The recommended project would not include concrete channel removal near Fredrick Allen Park in the Town of Ross. The area along the park would remain unchanged, except for additional fish resting pools, which would be constructed at the bottom of the existing concrete channel.
The preliminary cost estimate for construction of the recommended project is $10 million. The project has a total funding of approximately $14 million, which also covers the design and environmental costs. About half of the funding comes from the Ross Valley Flood Control Zone 9 storm drainage fee and the other half from California Department of Water Resources grant funds.
For background, the project transitioned from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-led partnership with the Flood Control District in March 2019 to a locally managed project by the District, the Town of Ross, the Friends of Corte Madera Creek, and other local stakeholders. The project was redefined to be more reflective of local community priorities and integrates multiple upgrades, which include flood risk mitigation, ecosystem restoration, improved fish passage, recreational enhancements, environmental benefits and regulatory compliance.
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