Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: 4/5ths
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Jasneet W. Sharma, Director of Sustainability Department
Subject: Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of Grant Funds from the California State Water Resources Control Board for the Pescadero Creek Watershed Roads Sediment Reduction Project
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation to:
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing the County of San Mateo to accept a $1,000,000 grant from the California State Water Resources Control Board and enter into a grant agreement to fund the Pescadero Creek Watershed Roads Sediment Reduction Project; and
B) Approve an Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) recognizing $1,000,000 in grant funds from the California State Water Resources Control Board to fund the project.
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BACKGROUND:
The California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) Nonpoint Source Grant Program (NPS) is a competitive grant program funded by the federal Clean Water Act Section 319(h) Grant Program to states to implement nonpoint source control activities, with focus on impaired water bodies. Nonpoint source pollution is pollution that is discharged over larger areas instead of from one source. The County has been awarded an NPS grant for culvert repair and road stabilization in the Pescadero Creek watershed in the amount of $1,000,000, which will significantly lower the County’s contribution towards the total project cost of $4,953,462. A required 25 percent grant match of $921,247 has already been budgeted for by the County.
The project supports the County’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program compliance efforts, which includes sediment reduction in impaired watershed, and improved water quality reported towards the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Municipal Regional Stormwater National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit requirement. The County of San Mateo’s NPDES Permit requires reducing 20 percent of the total estimated cubic yards of potential sediment erosion by 2027 from impaired watersheds. This grant will leverage existing County investments ensuring clean local waterways and regulatory compliance.
DISCUSSION:
The Sustainability Department, the Department of Public Works (DPW), and Parks Department (Parks) will collaborate to repair and upgrade four stream crossings on tributaries to Pescadero Creek, including Bloomquist Creek, Peterson Creek, Schenley Creek, and Rhododendron Creek, to reduce chronic and episodic sediment delivery in accordance with the Pescadero-Butano Watershed Sediment Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) plan.
The project involves removing and replacing deteriorated or undersized culverts at four creek crossings along Wurr Road (maintained by DPW) and Old Haul Road (maintained by Parks) with larger culverts designed to handle 100-year floods. Additional work includes removing unstable, eroding fill, upgrading road stability, and improving channel capacity through grading and reconstruction.
This Project builds upon previous efforts by the County to inventory sediment delivery at all creek crossings in the watershed and is strategically placed in high priority areas. As such, this work will provide significant credit towards meeting state regulated milestones by reducing thousands of cubic yards of sediment over a 20-year period in the Pescadero Creek watershed.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the agreement and resolutions as to form.
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Grant acceptance furthers stormwater pollution prevention efforts which is critical in reducing pollutants of concern and protecting water quality for all County residents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The total project cost is $4,953,462. Approval of the Appropriation Transfer Request will recognize grant funds in the amount of $1,000,000 from the Water Board to Sustainability Department. Of this $1,000,000 DPW will receive $692,500 and Parks will receive $307,500. The remaining project funding is included in the DPW and Parks FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget. There is no new Net County Cost associated with this project.