E8: Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection*
Preferred project: A federal-state-local partnership
This federally authorized project continues a project in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to plan, design and construct improvements along 5.5 miles of the channel extending from Interstate 280 to Blossom Hill Road. Improvements include channel widening, construction of floodwalls and levees, replacement of road crossings and planting of streamside vegetation. Reducing flood frequency and bank erosion will improve water quality, while planned mitigation measures will give fish access to an additional 12 miles of habitat within and upstream of the project reach.
In January 2021, USACE initiated a General Reevaluation Study of the preferred project. The General Reevaluation Report (GRR) is expected to be completed by June 2025. The scope of the project may change as a result of the GRR findings.
Local-funding-only project
The locally funded project entails constructing flood protection improvements along 4,100 feet of Guadalupe River between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SPRR) crossing, downstream of Willow Street, to the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) crossing, downstream of Padres Drive (Reach 7). It also includes completing a gravel augmentation project along approximately 800 linear feet of the Upper Guadalupe River in San José, from approximately the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge to West Virginia Street Bridge to improve aquatic habitat for migrating steelhead and channel stability. Flood damage will be reduced through the local-funding-only project. However, protection from the 1% (100-year event) flood is not provided without completion of the entire Upper Guadalupe River Flood Protection Project.
Mitigation elements of the project, namely Reach 10B (from Curtner Avenue to Almaden Expressway) and Reach 12 (from Branham Lane to Blossom Hill Road), were completed in 2015 in partnerships with USACE.
On August 13, 2024, the Valley Water Board held a formal public hearing and approved modifying the funding allocation for Project E8: Upper Guadalupe Flood Protection Project, transferring $42,670,000 to Project E6: Upper Llagas Flood Protection Project. The reallocated funds are not expected to be needed by the Upper Guadalupe Flood Protection Project to complete Valley Water’s cost-share for the preferred project (KPI #1) and will not affect the project schedule. The funding modification was to help balance the Safe, Clean Water Fund (Fund 26) in the short term and to provide sufficient funding to award a construction contract and complete the final phase of Project E6: Upper Llagas Creek Project, while still ensuring that there are sufficient funds to meet any remaining obligations for this project.
Valley Water and USACE Public Meetings
On Dec. 8, 2022, Valley Water and USACE held a public meeting to present the recommended plan of flood protection work along the Guadalupe River.
- Meeting Recording ( passcode: %1?xgi6= )
- Presentation
On Aug. 6, 2022, Valley Water and the USACE held a public meeting to collect feedback on future work on the Upper Guadalupe River. A hybrid model was utilized for the meeting, held in-person at the Alma Community Center and online through Facebook Live.
The project reaches
The approximately 5.5-mile-long project in San José is separated into seven sections known as reaches, numbered 6 through 12, and includes parts of Ross and Canoas Creek tributaries. Improvements include channel widening, floodwall and levee construction, replacement of road crossings, gravel augmentation, and streamside vegetation planting.
Completed Work
Reach 9 (Willow Glen Way Bridge)
In 2007, Valley Water, in collaboration with the City of San José, replaced the Willow Glen Way Bridge along Reach 9 with a longer-span bridge. The new bridge, east of Bird Avenue, was built to accommodate future channel widening to convey greater flows and provide flood protection while improving traffic and pedestrian safety.
Reach 6 (Flood Protection)
In 2012, Valley Water completed flood protection improvements to Reach 6 between Hwy 280 and the UPRR bridge downstream of Willow Street. The Project improved the river ecosystem, expanded the floodplain and extended the West Virginia Street bridge to accommodate the widened channel.
Reach 10B
In 2013, Valley Water and USACE completed Reach 10B, which runs between Wren Drive and McBride Loop. The project restored the waterway to a more natural environment by providing a meandering channel, pools, and in-stream features such as stream logs to allow gravel and sediment deposition and improve stream habitat.
Reach 12
In 2016, Valley Water and USACE completed work on Reach 12, which includes more than a mile stretch of the river channel critical to the larger project. Set between Branham Lane and Blossom Hill Road, the area had available land to improve habitat along the river to offset the loss of habitat areas further downstream, where river widening for the overall flood protection project had to occur. The project improved habitat for native fish like steelhead trout and Chinook salmon by planting native vegetation and trees along the river and stabilizing the low-flow channel. The project also raised levees and widened the channel to provide 100-year flood protection. With the addition of access roads and ramps, maintenance crews now have easier access to the river channel.
Right of Way
In 2019, Valley Water acquired all the necessary rights of way for Reach 7. The acquisition of rights-of-way and/or the design and construction of Reaches 7 through 11 remains on hold until the completion of the General Re-evaluation Report, described below.
Reach 6 (Gravel Augmentation)
In 2021, Valley Water installed the two gravel augmentation sites for the Reach 6 Aquatic Habitat Improvement Project, which is part of the local-funding-only project under KPI #2. Valley Water will monitor the stability of the two gravel augmentation sites until 2026.
USACE General Re-evaluation Report (GRR)
Since FY15 (July 2014 – June 2015), a lack of federal funding has stalled the design and construction of the remaining flood protection elements of Reaches 7-11, and Ross and Canoas Creeks. In January 2021, the USACE began a General Re-evaluation Study, a study to re-evaluate the scope of the project and the associated benefits and construction cost that can help make the project more competitive for federal funding.
The General Re-evaluation Report (GRR) was expected to be completed by June 2025 but has encountered delays due to modeling refinements, and recent changes in USACE guidelines for takings analyses and requirements to incorporate 35% design into the GRR. The USACE is requesting an additional 7 years and $7.16M to complete the GRR. The additional funds request includes $3.59M from Valley Water as the local sponsor.
The GRR will result in identification of a preferred project and estimated cost and schedule for the design and construction of the remaining flood protection elements in reaches 7-11, and Ross and Canoas Creeks.
For more information, please visit USACE's Upper Guadalupe River webpage at https://www.spn.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects-and-Programs/Current-Projects/Upper-Guadalupe-River/
October 2025
