San Mateo continues with stormwater maintenance, with several still ongoing projects such as the Marina Lagoon dredging and creek maintenance.
The city has identified several projects to prevent flooding ahead of the winter season, some of which have received an extra boost of funding due to the Community Flood and Stormwater Protection Initiative, a ballot measure passed in 2023 which enacts a monthly fee among property owners, meant to provide a dedicated source of funding to bolster the city’s stormwater infrastructure.
Some of the flood prevention initiatives involve improving the Marina Lagoon pumps, such as spot dredging and building a scale model of the pump station to “assess flow patterns, identify potential improvements to optimize pump efficiency and performance,” according to a staff report. The city anticipates completion of the latter around summer of next year, however, the former will likely not be completed until the end of next year.
The ballot measure has also helped fund efforts for catch basin and pipe cleaning. As of the end of November, almost one-quarter of the city’s catch basins have been cleaned, the staff report added. Sandbag stations have also been set up at the Corporation Yard on Pacific Boulevard, Beresford Park parking lot and Anchor Road parking lot.
Like some other nearby cities, San Mateo has also identified creek maintenance and clean-up as a critical flood mitigator, though, much of the work may take at least a year or two to complete, given permitting requirements.
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“We are working on trying to obtain a citywide creek maintenance permit … it’s challenging to get into our creeks and channels and do any kind of maintenance work without getting permits from various regulatory agencies, sometimes four or five different agencies,” Public Works Director Matt Fabry said. “We expect it’s going to take us a year or two to get the permit.”
Fabry added that the city is trying to expedite permits for some specific creeks and channels that are higher priority, including the 16th Avenue channel.
Councilmember Danielle Cwirko-Godycki, a member of Flood Free San Mateo — a group that pushed for more funding for stormwater infrastructure — said she was optimistic about the city’s current and ongoing efforts.
“I wanted to reiterate how excited I am about the citywide creek maintenance permit. That is a huge deal, and I’m so happy that city staff has prioritized that and is making that happen,” she said, adding that she was “personally very excited” about other efforts, including the dredging project.
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