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Published on 09/11/1995 All articles from this issue

Residents living by Adobe Creek view SCV water district flood control plans

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

B.R. Searfoss lives at the corner of West Fremont Road and Edith Avenue and remembers Jan. 9 vividly.

At 5:30 p.m. a rainstorm came over the hills and by 6:30 p.m. it dropped one inch of water on Los Altos. By 7:30 p.m., four feet of water covered Edith Avenue and water was running around her house. It was still impassable the next day.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District officials said it was a 25-year storm. In a 100-year storm, Adobe Creek has the potential to cause millions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

To better acquaint residents of the potential problem, water district officials invited all property owners and residents who live within 500 feet of the creek to attend an informal map review session at the Los Altos Youth Center last Thursday.

Peter Sheydayi, the district's assistant civil engineer, said visitors were invited to review topography maps and comment on any of the drawings that propose Adobe Creek culvert modifications and maintenance easements.

"We want to give the residents an opportunity to comment before we have a public hearing toward the end of the year," Sheydayi said. "We have an environmental impact report and an engineer's report being prepared and will be available for public review later in the year."

Engineers said the primary cause of flooding on Adobe Creek is the inadequacy of some of the existing culverts and bridges to safely convey the flow of water.

"You have to see what they are planning for your specific area for the creek," said Tom Mandle, a Los Altos resident who lives along Adobe Creek. "I have attended most of the meetings and I don't see any surprises."

Another Los Altos resident, Bob Nevin, has followed the Adobe watershed plans and said officials are finally accomplishing something. "They should have started controlling it years ago," Nevin said.

The district identified two sections of Adobe Creek where channel modifications would be feasible. They are downstream of West Edith Avenue and Foothill College. The district also specified 20 bank erosion repair sites caused by high velocities during heavy rains.

Officials do not expect additional taxes or assessments to property owners to fund construction or implementation of any programs that might result from the feasibility study.