Trustees seek Army Corps reviews, receive debris and FEMA updates; CCC cleanup discussed

Pacheco Stormwater District trustees on March 24 approved staff recommendations to submit letters of interest to two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers programs — the National Levee Safety Program and the Floodplain Management Services program — and discussed debris removal, levee repairs, FEMA reimbursement status and possible conservation corps cleanup work.

The action requests Army Corps site visits and technical assistance and lets the district begin the formal intake process for levee review and floodplain technical support; trustees were also briefed on a 1973 Army Corps report about the district and on state disaster recovery funds the county has been allocated.

Why it matters: Army Corps technical review and floodplain planning can clarify levee condition, help the district enroll in federal assistance programs and guide long-term O&M (operation and maintenance) planning. Near-term cleanup and debris removal affect flood risk this winter and access for inspections and repairs.

Debris removal and levee repairs: Steve Luke, public works administrator, told trustees that five debris piles removed from the creek have been staged outside the levee; four of the piles have been burned following protocol, and the last remaining pile is at the northeast corner of Lovers Lane and Pacheco Creek. Luke said…