COMMITTEE AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Capital Improvement Program Committee
Government Code § 84308 Applies: Yes ☐ No ☒
(If “YES” Complete Attachment A - Gov. Code § 84308)
SUBJECT: title
Receive Ogier Ponds-Coyote Creek Separation Project Update.
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RECOMMENDATION: Recommendation
Receive information on the feasibility analysis and preliminary Staff-Recommended Alternative for the Ogier Ponds-Coyote Creek Separation Project.
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SUMMARY:
The Ogier Ponds-Coyote Creek Separation Project (Project) is a creek/lake separation project to improve fish habitat under the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, Priority D, Project D4, KPIs #1 and #2. The Project is also a component of the critical Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project.
Ogier Ponds includes six large artificial water bodies in southern San José near Barnhart Avenue and Monterey Road, approximately four miles downstream of Anderson Reservoir.
Since 2016, Valley Water and the Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation have studied the potential separation of Ogier Ponds from Coyote Creek to improve steelhead passage and habitat conditions. Under the current configuration, fish get lost and cannot find their way out of the ponds, leaving them vulnerable to non-native predatory fish and to the ponds’ higher water temperatures, which can negatively affect fish growth and health.
The Project would construct a channel to separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds. The following planning phase milestones have been completed:
• Problem Definition and Refined Objectives Report
• Conceptual Alternatives Report
• Stakeholder and public outreach
• Feasibility Evaluation
• Selection of the Preliminary Staff-Recommended Alternative
On May 31, 2023, Valley Water hosted a public meeting at the Morgan Hill Community Center to present the Project’s conceptual alternatives. The meeting was attended by 33 residents, including 14 in person and 19 virtually via Zoom. Justin Tran from the Office of Senator John Laird also attended.
This memorandum summarizes the Project’s Feasible Alternatives Analysis and the Preliminary Staff-Recommended Alternative.
Feasible Alternatives Analysis
The feasible alternatives analysis supports the selection of a Staff-Recommended Alternative, which will be further developed as part of the Planning Study and serve as the basis for project design. Project Objectives (PO) include:
PO-1: Separate surface water connections between Coyote Creek and Ogier Ponds.
PO-2: Improve fish passage conditions, spawning areas, and rearing habitat for steelhead.
PO-3: Maintain healthy water quality within Ogier Ponds.
PO-4: Support the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project as a conservation measure.
Staff developed six conceptual alternatives (CAs) to address the Project Objectives:
Conceptual Alternative 1 (CA-1)
CA-1 would not separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds. Instead, steelhead downstream of the ponds would be collected and transported upstream to a cold-water management zone (CWMZ). Similarly, downstream-migrating steelhead would be collected upstream of the ponds, transported downstream of the ponds, and released.
A planning-level cost estimate was not developed for CA-1 because the alternative failed to meet Project Objectives 1 through 3.
Conceptual Alternative 2 (CA-2)
CA-2 would separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds while minimizing construction impacts to the ponds. Approximately 1.7 miles of new creek channel would be constructed on County Parks land northeast of Ogier Ponds. Excavation associated with the new channel and floodplain would generate approximately 1.2 million loose cubic yards (lcys) of surplus material.
The new creek channel and floodplain, up to 250 feet wide, would be contained by existing ground or earthen setback berms to maintain separation from the ponds. This alternative would avoid impacts to open-water habitat. To maintain geomorphic stability and aquatic habitat, gravel augmentation would be added to the new creek channel as needed.
The year 2029 planning-level construction cost estimate for CA-2 is approximately $52 million. This alternative would require only County Parks land and would not require acquisition of privately owned property.
Conceptual Alternative 3 (CA-3)
CA-3 would separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds by filling approximately 75 percent of the ponds. Approximately 1.4 miles of new creek channel would be constructed through the center of the ponds on County Parks land.
Ponds 1, 4, 5, and 6 would be completely filled with earth material, while Ponds 2 and 3 would be approximately 50 percent filled. Approximately 57 acres of open-water habitat would be converted to creek channel and floodplain habitat. Filling activities would require approximately 1.4 million lcys of material, including approximately 1.2 million lcys imported from off-site locations.
The new creek channel and floodplain, up to 1,400 feet wide, would be contained by existing ground or setback berms to maintain separation from the remaining ponds. Gravel augmentation would be added as needed to maintain geomorphic stability and aquatic habitat.
The year 2029 planning-level construction cost estimate for CA-3 is approximately $167 million. Acquisition of privately owned property would not be required.
Conceptual Alternative Plan 4 (CA-4)
CA-4 would separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds by filling 100 percent of the ponds. Approximately 1.4 miles of new creek channel would be constructed on County Parks land in place of the existing ponds. Ponds 1 through 6 would be completely filled with earth material. Approximately 77 acres of open-water habitat would be converted to creek channel and floodplain habitat. Filling activities would require approximately 2.4 million lcys of material, including approximately 2.1 million lcys imported from off-site locations.
The new creek channel and floodplain, up to 1,800 feet wide, would be contained by existing ground or setback berms. Gravel augmentation would be added as needed to maintain geomorphic stability and aquatic habitat.
The year 2029 planning-level construction cost estimate for CA-4 is approximately $360 million. Acquisition of privately owned property would not be required.
Conceptual Alternative Plan 5 (CA-5)
CA-5 would separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds by filling 100 percent of Ponds 1 and 5 and constructing a separation berm between the new channel and Pond 2. Approximately 1 mile of new creek channel would be constructed on County Parks land and private property.
Ponds 1 and 5 would be completely filled with earth material, while Ponds 2 and 4 would be partially filled to accommodate the separation berm. Approximately 19 acres of open-water habitat would be converted to creek channel and floodplain habitat.
Filling activities would require approximately 626,000 lcys of material, including approximately 420,000 lcys imported from off-site locations.
The new creek channel and floodplain, up to 700 feet wide, would be contained by existing ground or earthen berms to maintain separation from the remaining ponds. Gravel augmentation would be added as needed to maintain geomorphic stability and aquatic habitat.
The year 2029 planning-level construction cost estimate for CA-5, including real estate costs, is approximately $91 million. CA-5 would require the acquisition of approximately 5.3 acres of privately owned land and a temporary lease of approximately 12 acres for material stockpiling.
Conceptual Alternative 6 (CA-6)
CA-6 would separate Coyote Creek from Ogier Ponds by constructing a new creek channel through privately owned agricultural lands west of the ponds. Approximately 1.2 miles of new creek channel would be constructed on County Parks land and private property.
Approximately 1 acre of open-water habitat within Pond 4 would be converted to new creek channel, floodplain, and upland habitat. Although CA-6 would require filling only approximately 7 percent of Pond 4, it would require the acquisition of privately owned land across several parcels. Excavation activities would generate approximately 393,000 lcys of surplus material.
The new creek channel and floodplain, up to 250 feet wide, would be contained by existing ground to maintain separation from the remaining ponds. Gravel augmentation would be added as needed to maintain geomorphic stability and aquatic habitat.
The year 2029 planning-level construction cost estimate for CA-6, including real estate costs, is approximately $52 million. CA-6 would require the acquisition of approximately 36 acres of privately owned land.
Preliminary Staff-Recommended Alternative
Each alternative was evaluated using a defined methodology that first assessed the conceptual alternatives based on the Project Objectives and then evaluated them using an additional set of Feasibility Assessment Factors. The feasibility metrics were developed through an internal stakeholder process and are based on the Project Objectives and other relevant considerations. Attachment 1 summarizes the evaluation criteria and corresponding scores. Higher scores indicate that an alternative better satisfies the Project Objectives and Feasibility Assessment Factors.
CA-6 received the highest overall score and is therefore identified as the Preliminary Staff-Recommended Alternative. It is considered the least environmentally impactful practicable alternative because it would result in relatively low impacts to the Ogier Ponds park area and would minimize local impacts associated with trucking activities, including noise, dust, and vibration.
Next Steps
After receiving and incorporating the Committee's input, staff will finalize the Planning Study and transmit the Planning Study Report to the Board of Directors. The Project will then advance into the design phase. Design is anticipated to be completed, and construction is anticipated to begin in 2029.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
The Project is not anticipated to result in disproportionate adverse impacts to any specific community relative to the general population. No environmental justice impacts are anticipated.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Alternatives Comparison
Attachment 2: PowerPoint
UNCLASSIFIED MANAGER:
Manager
Lisa Bankosh, 408-630-2618