The Santa Clara Valley Water District will remove approximately 2,000 cubic yards of sediment from Matadero Creek south of U.S. 101 to Louis Road to help restore capacity.
Work began on July 17 and will take 20 days to complete. Project start dates and duration may vary due to site conditions and equipment availability. Project work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The water district does not anticipate any work on Saturdays.
A five-person crew will use an excavator, crew trucks, a small loader and dump trucks at the site. Expect typical construction noise during work hours as trucks and crews access the creek at Greer, Louis and Ross Roads. Expect no road closures, but the water district may use traffic controls or flaggers, if needed, during work for safety.
This project will remove enough cubic yards of sediment to fill 250 dump trucks. Sediment removal is important to maintain the creek’s capacity to carry floodwaters away from nearby homes and property.
Why remove sediment?
Water flowing in a creek or river picks up and carries fine grains of soil, rock or mineral called sediment. When the flowing water slows down or reaches a wide or flat area, the sediment “drops out” and is deposited into the stream bed. This can clog the creek, reducing the amount of water it can transport. Sediment fills the underwater spaces around rocks, fallen tree trunks and branches, eliminating places where fish and other species seek food and shelter.
For more information, contact Chad Grande at (408) 630-2915, or visit our website at valleywater.org and use our Access Valley Water customer request and information system. With three easy steps, you can use this service to find out the latest information on district projects or to submit questions, complaints or compliments directly to a district staff person.
