Corte Madera Creek Project: Moving In A New Direction?

CORTE MADERA, CA – The Corte Madera Creek Flood Risk Management Project, which seeks to improve flood mitigation in the lower Ross Valley Watershed, may need to be redefined before moving forward. according to officials from Marin County.

Ross Valley’s Zone 9 Advisory Board will hold a meeting March 19 to discuss circumstances that may require a change in direction for the project, staff said. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at Ross Town Hall at 31 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard.

Based on the decision of the Advisory Board, the Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District could reevaluate the local aspects of the project and continue with a locally managed and funded project, separate from the existing management by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, officials said.

The original project’s draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report was released October 12, 2018, for public review. During the 45-day public review period, which ended Nov. 27, approximately 65 public comments were received -- comments that revealed the need for additional analysis of the proposed alternatives are adequately addressed and in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, staff said.

To date, the Flood District’s Zone 9 and USACE evenly split the $3.8 million cost of the project feasibility study and EIS/EIR development through a cost-share agreement, deemed necessary to determine whether federal funding could be pursued for the construction effort, according to the county. Following review of the draft EIS/EIR public comments, it was determined that the scope of additional analysis necessary to complete the feasibility study and produce a final EIS/EIR would exceed the terms of the agreement, as well as the USACE’s authorized budget and schedule.

Due to congressional constraints and authorization requirements, USACE will not be able to extend its administrative time allotment and funding share, required to address the newly identified need for further analysis, to ensure compliance with CEQA, county staff said.

In accordance with the agreement terms and Flood District procedures, county official said it is necessary to bring a recommendation to the Zone 9 Advisory Board to close the USACE agreement. Following that action, the recommendation will be brought before the Flood District Board of Supervisors.

The Zone 9 Advisory Board will discuss the potential for a project reevaluation that would allow for a locally managed flood mitigation effort. The Flood District, in partnership with the Town of Ross, could pursue a focused project that supports integrated benefits such as flood risk mitigation, ecosystem restoration, improved fish passage for endangered species and recreational enhancements, the county said.

Those project elements were previously referred to as Phase 1 of the larger project with USACE, as described in the draft EIS/EIR -- that includes the Ross fish ladder removal, Allen Park Riparian Corridor restoration and a Granton Park flood barrier. Any newly tailored project could also look at including additional restoration opportunities downstream of the original Phase 1 project area, staff said.

Funding for a reevaluated effort would come from the Zone 9 storm drainage fee fund and the California Department of Water Resources grant held by the Flood District, according to officials. District staff are working with DWR to determine the revised timeline for the grant and evaluating additional grant opportunities that might support additional downstream improvements.

With the locally managed project approach, the Flood Control District anticipates that progress could move at a faster rate than with federal oversight and approval processes, county staff said, adding that it could produce a project design and subsequent construction that is directly reflective of local community priorities, as well.

District staff plans to use public input, additional evaluation of the Phase 1 project concept and the completed USACE draft EIS/EIR content to develop a redefined project concept, which is planned to be presented at the Zone 9 Advisory Board’s meeting in May 2019, officials said. Should a newly tailored project effort be considered, a public scoping meeting for it would take place this summer in accordance with CEQA guidelines.

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