COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Board Policy and Monitoring Committee
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: title
Receive Update on the West Valley and Lower Peninsula Watershed Master Plans.
End
RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
Receive an update on the West Valley and Lower Peninsula Watershed Master Plans.
Body
SUMMARY:
Background
The Watershed Master Plans are Valley Water’s planning effort to identify watershed management needs across the county’s five watersheds and develop prioritized, multi-benefit actions aligned with existing policies, programs, and community values. Watershed Master Planning includes the One Water Countywide Framework and watershed-specific plans that translate this framework into actions. The Board adopted the Framework and Coyote Watershed Plan in March 2022, followed by the Guadalupe and Upper Pajaro Watershed Plans in April 2024. Valley Water is currently developing the final two plans, the West Valley and Lower Peninsula Watershed Plans, anticipated for completion in early 2027.
The Watershed Master Plans are developed through a structured process based on five objective areas: natural ecosystems, flood risk, water quality, water supply, and climate change. The process includes three primary components: establishing existing watershed conditions (the setting), performance metrics, and priority actions. Setting reports establish baseline conditions and identify key challenges and opportunities, which inform development of metrics and targets used to evaluate performance and identify gaps. Based on this analysis, priority actions are developed to address challenges and gaps and advance progress toward objectives.
While priority actions for flood risk, natural ecosystems, and water quality are developed through analysis of watershed conditions, metrics, and external partner input, water supply and climate change actions taken from existing plans such as the Water Supply Master Plan and Climate Change Action Plan. The planning process includes ongoing engagement with internal subject matter experts, partner agencies, community organizations, and the public to inform and refine plan development.
Public and external partner engagement has been ongoing since a virtual kickoff in March 2025, followed by a public workshop at the Los Altos Community Center in September 2025 and participation in the Friends of Stevens Creek “Stevens Creek Watershed Summit” in March 2026. These efforts engaged local agencies, community and environmental organizations, and members of the public, and have informed refinement of watershed priorities, metrics, and draft actions. Staff have also coordinated with Board advisory committees, including the Environmental and Water Resources Committee (April 2025), Board Policy and Monitoring Committee (June 2025), and Agricultural Water Advisory Committee (July 2025), and are returning to the Board Policy and Monitoring Committee in May 2026 to provide a progress update.
Current Update
Since June 2025, development of the West Valley and Lower Peninsula Watershed Master Plans has progressed through completion of baseline assessment and into metric evaluation and initial action development. The watershed setting reports, completed in December 2025, established baseline conditions and identified key challenges and opportunities, including highly urbanized creek systems, limited riparian habitat, water quality impairments, and localized flood risks, as well as opportunities for habitat enhancement, nature-based flood management, and improved watershed connectivity.
Staff have developed and finalized performance metrics and targets to evaluate watershed conditions relative to desired outcomes. Initial analysis indicates that while some objectives, such as flood protection and water supply, are progressing toward targets, others-particularly related to ecological condition, riparian connectivity, and channel modification-show greater gaps. These results help identify where focused investment and action are needed and provide a consistent, data-driven basis for tracking progress.
Using the settings and metrics analysis, staff have begun developing draft priority actions across flood protection, ecological health, water quality, water supply, and climate resilience. The initial list is informed by existing Valley Water plans and programs, including the Water Supply Master Plan, Climate Change Action Plan, and Watershed Asset Management Program, as well as projects identified through ongoing operations and capital planning efforts. The list also incorporates input from partner agencies, community groups, and external partners gathered through outreach to date. Early actions emphasize multi-benefit approaches such as creek naturalization, fish passage improvements, riparian habitat enhancement, and nature-based flood risk reduction.
Next Steps
Staff will continue refining and validating priority actions through external partner engagement and technical evaluation throughout 2026. Final priority actions and draft plans are anticipated to be presented to the Board Policy and Monitoring Committee and other advisory committees in early 2027.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
The Watershed Master Planning process addresses environmental justice through targeted outreach to disadvantaged communities and by incorporating community input into decision-making. The Framework includes protocols to prioritize actions that reduce flood risk and improve health and safety for vulnerable populations, with progress tracked through environmental justice metrics. The process is objective and data-driven, ensuring transparency and equitable outcomes.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Lisa Bankosh, 408-630-2618