Corte Madera outlines 2026 flood-control work plan; Shorebird Marsh pump-station design underway amid funding gap
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Summary
Town staff reviewed 2025 accomplishments and a draft 2026 flood-control work plan that includes pump-station short‑term repairs, a 2026 storm‑drain replacement project, open‑channel maintenance, and design work on the Shorebird Marsh pump station; staff warned the Shorebird replacement could cost about $8 million and that disposal and dewatering of dredged material are recurring cost drivers.
At its Dec. 8 meeting the Corte Madera Flood Board reviewed last year’s flood-control work and a draft 2026 work plan that emphasizes pump‑station repairs, storm‑drain replacements and the Shorebird Marsh pump-station replacement project, which is now in design.
Town public-works staff (unnamed) summarized 2025 accomplishments drawn from the storm‑drain master plan, including the Heart Street connector storm‑drain upgrade (new 30‑inch minimum pipes), pipe replacements at several failed corrugated-metal locations, and a $75,000 CCTV and cleaning program. “We initiated a $75,000 project and ... found some areas 80% full of debris,” staff said (Speaker 2), adding crews discovered concrete plugs at two Tampa Vista locations and cleaned them out.
Staff said a 2026 storm‑drain replacement project is the next iteration of master-plan work, that pump‑station short‑term repair Phase 1 (control panels, anodes and similar work) will be bid after the rainy season, and that Shorebird Marsh pump station is under design following an RFP and consultant selection.
The board focused on costs and constraints. Staff said they’ve spent about $1,000,000 on storm-drain replacements in the current project and cautioned that Shorebird Marsh replacement could be on the order of $8,000,000. The town has applied for two state grants (Coastal Commission and another) and an FMA federal grant but said federal funding appears unlikely; staff plans to explore state programs and limited town funds for interim measures such as sandbags.
Dewatering and disposal of dredged/scraped material emerged as an operational constraint. Staff said disposal logistics (limited local landfill acceptance of wet material) forced use of onsite tanks and settling systems and consumed a large portion of the CCTV budget (“maybe $25 or $30,000 of the $75,000”), prompting board members to suggest regional collaboration and geotextile dewatering tubes as potential cost‑savings measures. Staff said they will investigate rental options for geotextile tubes and continue to coordinate with neighboring jurisdictions.
The board asked staff to continue following the master plan, to include dredging and spoils‑reuse options on the low‑canal/Town Park list of channels for future open‑channel maintenance, and to track grant and design timelines for the Shorebird Marsh pump‑station replacement.
