South Valley residents have been waiting since the 1950s. It’s
been promised since the 1970s. Isn’t that long enough?
South Valley residents have been waiting since the 1950s. It’s been promised since the 1970s. Isn’t that long enough?
We’re talking about PL566, the project to complete flood protection work on Llagas Creek. It’s a joint project of the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers.
We all know that government moves slowly, but this situation is now certifiably ridiculous.
The promises began after a December 1955 flood that devastated Morgan Hill. It took until the 1970s for funding to be approved, and work began at the south end of the project in Watsonville. The project ran out of money at Buena Vista Avenue in Gilroy.
And San Martin and Morgan Hill have been waiting – and flooding – ever since.
It’s well past time this project got back on track. The water district passed its Clean, Safe Creeks & Natural Flood Protection Plan on promises that Llagas Creek flood protection would be a priority if the tax was approved by voters. Money from the tax comprises the local portion ($12.7 million) of the total project cost of $57.4 million. The remainder is to come from the federal government.
It’s now more than two years later, and we’re still waiting for results. Instead we’re getting talk of more delays.
Why can’t our Santa Clara Valley Water District Board members get this job done?
Rosemary Kamei, South Valley’s representative, has been on the board since 1993. Sig Sanchez, and at-large member and Gilroy resident, has been a board member since 1980.
Well?
Water district need to make finishing the Llagas Creek flood protection project their top priority – bar none. Quite frankly, they should be red-faced with shame that it is now decades old and still unfinished, while South County residents continued to endure flood after flood winter after winter.
South County’s federal representatives should also pull out all the stops to ensure funding for this project immediately. The worst flooding on record, in December 1955, was a 33-year flood. Let’s not wait to find out what 50-year or 100-year flood will do to San Martin and Morgan Hill.
Finally, and most importantly, We call on all South County residents to contact their water district and federal representatives to urge them to support this project and to vote for funding it. We should be chagrined that our patience and silence while South County floods has allowed this situation to continue.
South County residents must remain patient and silent no longer.
Let Rosemary Kamei know that we want this problem fixed. Send the board clerk an e-mail to lk*****@va*********.org. Send letters to her at the water district at Santa Clara Valley Water District, 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose 95118-3686, or fax them to 266-0271. The district’s telephone number is 265-2600.
Morgan Hill’s congressman, Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, happens to serve on the Water Resources and Environment and Water and Power subcommittees in the U.S. House of Representatives. His address is 2411 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC, 20515-0511. His telephone number is (202) 225-1947.
Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, represents San Martin and Gilroy in the House of Representatives. Before redistricting following the 2000 Census, she also represented Morgan Hill, and is quite familiar with Llagas Creek flooding problems. She can be reached at 227 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC, 20515-0516. Her phone number is (202) 225-3072.
California has two senators, both Democrats: Diane Feinstein, 331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510; (202) 224-3841; and Barbara Boxer, 112 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510; (202) 224-3553.
Let’s keep the pressure on our elected representatives. Don’t let them get away with pointing a finger of blame at other government agencies; don’t let them ignore Llagas Creek for another minute. To borrow a phrase from “Network,” they need to know that we’re wet – and mad as hell and we’re not going to take this anymore.
