San Rafael, CA – Residents in the Ross Valley area are encouraged to attend a May 20 community meeting of the Flood Zone 9 Advisory Board, which is overseeing a major capital improvement project to help prevent the effects of a 100-year flood.
Meeting participants will get an opportunity to learn more about the Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program, its 2015-16 budget and the implementation of a strategic communications plan. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. at San Anselmo Town Hall, 525 San Anselmo Ave. It will be followed up with a June 16 meeting at Sir Francis Drake High School that focuses on a Flow Reduction Study.
At the May 20 meeting, staff members from the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District will present an update on watershed program, a collaborative effort to address chronic flooding in Zone 9, comprised of the chronically vulnerable Ross Valley communities of Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, Larkspur, Kentfield and Greenbrae.
In December 2005, Ross Valley creeks spilled out of their banks and caused $100 million in property damages to homes, businesses and the public agencies. A 10-year work plan was adopted in 2012 to address chronic flooding with a series of many small and a few large infrastructure projects to create a 25-year-flood level of protection, part of a larger capital improvement program designed to achieve maximum protection.
Feedback is welcomed on the latest review documents, which can be found at www.RossValleyWatershed.org. E-mail input on the review criteria to Senior Civil Engineer Russ Eberwein at reberwein@marincounty.org.
The Marin County Department of Public Works serves as staff for the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, which is overseen by the Board of Supervisors when it convenes as district board.
Ross Valley Flood Protection and Watershed Program is a collaboration between the County government and the municipalities of Fairfax, San Anselmo, Ross, and Larkspur. The program goals are to reduce the risk of flooding using a watershed-wide approach; integrate environmental restoration features with the flood mitigation projects; and leverage funds obtained through the Ross Valley storm drainage fee to secure state and federal grant funding to study and construct publicly-approved projects.