The U.S. Army Corps Chief of Engineers signed a report last week recommending Congress authorize the first phase of the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project for construction.
The Santa Clara Valley Water District and State Coastal Conservancy have been working in partnership with the Army Corps for more than 10 years on this major flood risk management and ecosystem restoration project that will protect Santa Clara County communities ringing the southern part of the San Francisco Bay from tidal flooding and rising sea levels.
This critical signature paves the way for Congress to authorize the Army Corps to begin the design and ultimately construction of Phase I of the $174 million South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project.
This project includes construction of 4 miles of engineered levees, restoration of 2,900 acres of tidal marsh habitat, reduction of flood risk for about 5,500 people, protection of the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility that serves 1.4 million people as well as Silicon Valley businesses, and protection of State Route 237, a major Silicon Valley artery.
The scheme will also allow the western United States’ largest wetland restoration project, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, to proceed.
The Shoreline Project is also supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a host of government and private sector supporters including the City of San José, the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority, and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.
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