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Monterey County presents Bolsa Knolls drainage study; board directs staff to refine options in 60 days
Summary
County public-works staff presented a drainage study for Bolsa Knolls showing the Santa Rita (Little Bear) Creek overtops at about 100 cubic feet per second; the Board of Supervisors asked staff to return in 60 days with refined costs, land‑acquisition estimates and governance options, while staff weigh immediate selective vegetation work where permits aren’t required.
Monterey County presented a new drainage study for the Bolsa Knolls area on April 1, outlining modeled flood risks along Santa Rita Creek (also called Little Bear Creek) and several options to reduce recurring flood impacts.
Randy Ishi, director of Public Works, Facilities and Parks, said the study’s hydrologic and hydraulic modeling shows the creek’s carrying capacity upstream of Rogge Road is roughly 100 cubic feet per second. “If you imagine 100 basketballs coming down a second per second down the creek,” Ishi said, “that roughly represents the amount of flow the creek is able to carry before it starts to overtop.” The consultant used those models to evaluate alternatives ranging from routine sediment removal and targeted vegetation thinning to culvert upsizing and construction of upstream retention basins.
The draft report finds trade-offs for each approach. Staff described recurring maintenance such as culvert and sediment clearing (estimated at about $35,000–$40,000 per…
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