San Rafael, CA – Marin County is desperate for rain right now, but on occasion it gets pelted with too much at one time, resulting in devastating floods. New findings will be shared at a public meeting June 16 to address proposed Ross Valley flood control projects and possibly save the community from millions of dollars in future property damage.
The Flood Zone 9 Advisory Board, which oversees major capital improvement projects in the Ross Valley, will review proposed solutions that would mitigate the effects of a 100-year flood. The June 16 meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the student center at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, and residents will have a chance to provide input on next steps.
The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, staffed by engineers from the Marin County Department of Public Works, will share results of a flow reduction study and flood-control alternatives that were previously eliminated or not considered in the current program. The goal is to present a viable plan for flood protection in Ross Valley.
The June 16 meeting is a follow-up to a May 20 meeting on the subject and dozens of earlier meetings through the years. At this meeting, the Flood Zone 9 Advisory Board will make recommendations to district staff about which proposed projects should be evaluated in the environmental review phase.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the community to make flood reduction a reality in our communities,” said District Program Manager Scott Lyle.
In December 2005, Ross Valley creeks spilled out of their banks and caused $96 million (in 2015 dollars) 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.
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 flood protection projects.