Having just completed repairs to damaged levees caused by winter storms along the Pajaro River and Salsipuedes Creek in Santa Cruz County, the San Francisco District has begun work in Pleasanton, Calif. to repair levees from the same 2017 storms.
The work in conjunction with Alameda County started last month and will continue through October, breaking for the rainy season, and will resume in April. The emergency project is expected to be completed later next year.
The work is similar to the emergency repairs that were carried out at Pajaro and Salsipuedes, although Emil Capati, the Corps' quality assurance representative on site says the damage caused by the storms in Pleasanton was much worse.
The levee repairs fall under a rehabilitation program that provides for the inspection and rehabilitation of both federal and non-federal flood risk management projects damaged or destroyed by floods and coastal storms. All projects must meet certain standards in order to be eligible for federal aid.
The Pleasanton project is noteworthy for another reason: In June, Alameda County Zone 7 Public Works Director Joe Seto personally delivered a $3 million check to San Francisco District Deputy Commander MAJ Kevin McCormick, an amount representing the county's share of the cost of the project, as an expression of gratitude for the Corps' work.
More information on the emergency repair program can be found at: usace.army.mil/Media/fact-sheets.