A joint meeting between the Valley Water board of directors and the San Jose City Council on Tuesday highlighted concerns about the city’s readiness for increased flood risks this winter. A strong El Niño season is expected to bring heavy rains, prompting officials and residents to raise alarms about potentially shaky coordination between South Bay government agencies. Concerns were voiced that unclear jurisdictional boundaries might hinder emergency preparation and response efforts along San Jose’s 140 miles of waterways.
Officials and residents at the meeting warned that the fuzzy lines of authority often make it unclear who is responsible for addressing flood risks when they arise. This confusion has led to frustration among residents who fear it will cause delays in critical flood mitigation work, such as clearing debris like garbage or fallen trees. Such delays could prove catastrophic if El Niño triggers the heavy rains that weather forecasts suggest are likely this winter.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan spoke during the meeting, stating that residents “shouldn’t have to think about the jurisdictional boundaries between our agencies.” He added that constituents simply “see a problem, and they want a solution, and they expect us to deliver it.” The region is preparing for strong winter storms as a powerful El Niño system, characterized by warm water in the Pacific Ocean, continues to strengthen. El Niño typically destabilizes weather patterns and often leads to heavy winter rainfalls in California.
Valley Water Board Chair Tony Estremera underscored the shared responsibility, noting that both agencies have a duty to maintain their properties, similar to how neighbors manage gutters at their homes to prevent overflow. He stressed that everyone has a part to play in maintaining healthy waterways and strengthening community resilience for the coming winter and future years.
Complicating flood preparations in San Jose is the patchwork of ownership and jurisdictional boundaries over the city’s waterways and surrounding land. Portions are owned by the city government, others by Valley Water, and some by private owners. Residents who live along Coyote Creek, an area that experienced extensive flooding in 2017, have drawn attention to this challenge. They circulated a petition warning of “major wood blockages” that have accumulated in the creek between William Street and Interstate 280. The residents urged local government officials to act quicker to address these risks.
The petition, which gathered 241 signatures, explained that this “complexity in ownership and responsibility leads to disagreements regarding responsibility and causes delays to implementing critical creek maintenance / flood protection work.” Many residents have also reported navigating bureaucratic barriers and permitting requirements when attempting to address flood risks themselves. Valley Water officials noted they provide permitting consultations through a hotline for such inquiries.
During the joint meeting, officials also detailed various steps being taken to prepare for the flood risks posed by El Niño. Valley Water is increasing public outreach to property owners, informing them of their responsibilities and available public support. This support includes the availability of free sandbags at five sites across Santa Clara County, beginning in November.
Regarding the 2017 Coyote Creek flood, which occurred after heavy rainfall caused the Anderson Dam in South San Jose to overflow, Valley Water has been working on an earthquake retrofit project at the dam. This project aims to help release more water from the area during storms or emergencies, and the dam has been drained down to 3% capacity as part of these efforts. Additionally, the agency is constructing stronger flood prevention infrastructure along Coyote Creek, including the introduction of flood walls along significant portions of the waterway.
San Jose councilmembers supported a proposal from Mayor Mahan to task city and water agency staff with gathering more information about which specific portions of waterways pose the highest flood risks. This information is intended to help residents better prepare. Valley Water officials clarified that while the agency directly monitors waterways under its control, it relies on residents to report blockages or other issues appearing elsewhere in the water system. Christopher Hakes, who oversees watershed management for Valley Water, encouraged the public to adopt a “see something, say something” approach: “If you think there’s a problem please let us know.”
