South San Francisco Bay Project: Alviso Shoreline Works Resume

Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) has resumed pre-construction activities in Alviso, California, delivering on a long-made promise to protect shoreline communities in Santa Clara County from devastating flooding.

The work on the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project started in May, but paused for a few weeks in June after a project biologist discovered an active nest for a bird species that is listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

This project is a partnership with the California State Coastal Conservancy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and regional stakeholders to provide tidal flood protection, restore and enhance tidal marsh and related habitats, and provide recreational and public access opportunities.

As for the pre-construction work for the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Project, trucks will bring in approximately 300,000 cubic-yards of levee fill and place into pond A12, north of the Alviso Marina County Park, over the next several months. This material will be used to construct a levee that will reduce coastal flood risks for the community of Alviso, the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center and nearby businesses, including several Silicon Valley tech companies.

The project will also restore tidal marsh habitat for endangered species and migratory birds and provides key connections to the iconic San Francisco Bay Trail.

“South San Francisco Shoreline Project is one that protects you from sea level rise and climate change, and all the things we have never faced before, but it’s here today,” said Valley Water Board Director Richard P. Santos.

Local funding for the project is provided by Valley Water’s Safe, Clean Water program and a grant from the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority’s Bay Area voter-approved Measure AA.