F2: Emergency Response Planning and Preparedness*

Status

Active

Location

Countywide

Schedule

Start FY 2022 / Finish FY 2036

Funding

Safe, Clean Water Fund ($7.3 million)

This project enables Valley Water to work with local municipalities to clearly delineate and communicate roles and responsibilities for floodplain management and flood emergency management. The resulting plans will also strengthen response capabilities for mutual assistance during other types of public health and safety emergencies or natural disasters. The project supports Valley Water’s countywide emergency response, preparedness and mitigation activities, develops communication processes and disseminates web-based flood forecasting information developed under Project F7: Emergency Response Upgrades. Valley Water will also assist collaborating agencies in developing formal, site-specific flood-fighting strategies and will coordinate outreach throughout the county so that the public receives uniform warning messages during a flood emergency.

*This project was voter approved as part of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program.

See Environmental & Community Benefits section for a complete description of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

KPI #1: (Coordinate with local municipalities)

Valley Water continues to attend the monthly Santa Clara County Emergency Managers meetings, where staff engage Emergency Managers from local municipalities and shares Valley Water’s current work activities, particularly those involving collaboration with local agencies.
Valley Water staff have developed EAP Quick Guides for 10 of the 15 creeks and waterways included in existing EAPs. These five- to seven-page summaries are designed to provide easy access to the key actionable information from the full EAP. The Quick Guides are updated when the corresponding EAP is updated.
Attended briefing of the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) group on the July 4th Safety Watch.
Met with City of San Jose to review updates to the Joint Emergency Action Plan (JEAP) on January 8, 2025, and met again with them on June 18, 2025 to discuss final draft of the JEAP and prepare a final version for City Manager and CEO approvals.
On March 19, 2025, Valley Water provided the City of Sunnyvale with the draft West Valley Watershed Emergency Action Plan that included the newly developed plan for the Sunnyvale East and West channels. Comments and corrections from city staff were incorporated into the final version of the EAP.
In August 2025, began meeting with Valley Transportation Authority staff regarding developing new policies and procedures to access flood fighting infrastructure located within their right of way.

KPI #2: (Flood Management Plans)

Prepared an update to the Joint Emergency Action Plan for Severe Storm and Flood Response in City of San José (JEAP) that includes a new Berryessa Creek Appendix.
In June of 2025, competed final edits of JEAP updates and circulated within Valley Water and the City of San José for final review prior to submitting for final approval and signatures.
In August 2025, Valley Water CEO signed the updated JEAP which was subsequently delivered to the City of San José for final approval and signature by the City Manager.
Developed an updated Quick Guide for the San Francisquito Creek EAP to support an exercise conducted on December 18, 2024.
In December of 2024 we provided the draft of the update of the Lower Peninsula Watershed EAP to the Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale for their review.
In January 2025, completed the update of the Lower Peninsula Watershed EAP to incorporate Stevens Creek, which flows through portions of Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale.
All current EAPs covering 18 waterways and 10 Quick Guides have been posted on the Valley Water website at https://www.valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-emergency-action-plans
Completed final edits to West Valley Watershed EAP in June 2025. The document was approved and signed on August 7, 2025.
Developed a new Quick Guide for the Sunnyvale East & West Channels and updated the Quick Guide for San Tomas Aquino Creek in the West Valley Watershed.
Continued the development of the Upper Pajaro River Watershed EAP that began in the prior quarter and completed the update of the Uvas Creek and West Little Llagas Creek Appendices.

KPI #3: (Drills and exercises)

On December 18, 2024, Valley Water, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto conducted a tabletop exercise focused on the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) plan. The exercise was focused on enhancing the coordination between the multiple agencies that would be involved in response to a flooding event along San Francisquito Creek. Over 65 representatives from 30 organizations participated in the exercise. The updated San Francisquito Creek Quick Guide was used during this exercise.
On March 27, 2025, Valley Water and the City of Sunnyvale hosted the West Valley Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Tabletop Exercise, bringing together 50 participants to validate the updated EAP and strengthen relationships and coordination with local response partners. Centered around a severe weather and flooding scenario, the exercise focused on public information, planning, and operational coordination. Participants discussed alert systems, evacuation and shelter procedures, and field operations, with Valley Water staff providing a briefing on local channel dynamics. Agencies represented included the City of Sunnyvale, City of Santa Clara, City of Gilroy, City of Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, Santa Clara County Fire, American Red Cross, Sunnyvale ARES, and Valley Water. The exercise also highlighted how Valley Water monitors flood conditions and deploys field teams, contributing to a productive event that reinforced local readiness.
In March 2025, Valley Water staff served on an exercise planning team for a county wide exercise put on by Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs and CAL FIRE.
On May 22, 2025, Valley Water staff supported a large-scale flooding exercise in Monterey County.
In June 2025, Valley Water participated in a multi-day exercise hosted by CAL FIRE, Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs, and the South Bay Incident Management Team.
On June 9, 2025, Valley Water OES staff participated in a large-scale exercise conducted by Santa Clara County. The role was in the simulated cell where a master scenario events list was used to guide the exercise and assess responses of the Emergency Operating Center participants (players). This provided Valley Water staff with insight on the preparation of agency partners in the event of an actual scenario.

KPI #4: (Effectiveness)

On December 4, 2024, Valley Water, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto conducted a tabletop exercise focused on the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) plan
On December 18, 2024, Valley Water staff met with the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) group coordinators for an After-Action Report for the recent tabletop exercise. An After-Action Report is a structured review of an exercise, to assess what happened, what went well, and what needs improvement. It includes a summary of objectives, key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for future training. An After-Action Meeting includes representatives from all the organizations that participated in the exercise, is held to review the report’s findings, and adopt an improvement plan based on the report’s findings.
On March 27, 2025, Valley Water and the City of Sunnyvale hosted the West Valley Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Tabletop Exercise and will complete the After-Action review in the fourth quarter.

October 2025

For more information:

Alexander Gordon, (408) 630-2637

See Environmental & Community Benefits section for a complete description of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

KPI #1: (Coordinate with local municipalities)

Valley Water continues to attend the monthly Santa Clara County Emergency Managers meetings, where staff engage Emergency Managers from local municipalities and shares Valley Water’s current work activities, particularly those involving collaboration with local agencies.
Valley Water staff have developed EAP Quick Guides for 10 of the 15 creeks and waterways included in existing EAPs. These five- to seven-page summaries are designed to provide easy access to the key actionable information from the full EAP. The Quick Guides are updated when the corresponding EAP is updated.
Attended briefing of the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) group on the July 4th Safety Watch.
Met with City of San Jose to review updates to the Joint Emergency Action Plan (JEAP) on January 8, 2025, and met again with them on June 18, 2025 to discuss final draft of the JEAP and prepare a final version for City Manager and CEO approvals.
On March 19, 2025, Valley Water provided the City of Sunnyvale with the draft West Valley Watershed Emergency Action Plan that included the newly developed plan for the Sunnyvale East and West channels. Comments and corrections from city staff were incorporated into the final version of the EAP.
In August 2025, began meeting with Valley Transportation Authority staff regarding developing new policies and procedures to access flood fighting infrastructure located within their right of way.

KPI #2: (Flood Management Plans)

Prepared an update to the Joint Emergency Action Plan for Severe Storm and Flood Response in City of San José (JEAP) that includes a new Berryessa Creek Appendix.
In June of 2025, competed final edits of JEAP updates and circulated within Valley Water and the City of San José for final review prior to submitting for final approval and signatures.
In August 2025, Valley Water CEO signed the updated JEAP which was subsequently delivered to the City of San José for final approval and signature by the City Manager.
Developed an updated Quick Guide for the San Francisquito Creek EAP to support an exercise conducted on December 18, 2024.
In December of 2024 we provided the draft of the update of the Lower Peninsula Watershed EAP to the Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale for their review.
In January 2025, completed the update of the Lower Peninsula Watershed EAP to incorporate Stevens Creek, which flows through portions of Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale.
All current EAPs covering 18 waterways and 10 Quick Guides have been posted on the Valley Water website at https://www.valleywater.org/flooding-safety/flood-emergency-action-plans
Completed final edits to West Valley Watershed EAP in June 2025. The document was approved and signed on August 7, 2025.
Developed a new Quick Guide for the Sunnyvale East & West Channels and updated the Quick Guide for San Tomas Aquino Creek in the West Valley Watershed.
Continued the development of the Upper Pajaro River Watershed EAP that began in the prior quarter and completed the update of the Uvas Creek and West Little Llagas Creek Appendices.

KPI #3: (Drills and exercises)

On December 18, 2024, Valley Water, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto conducted a tabletop exercise focused on the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) plan. The exercise was focused on enhancing the coordination between the multiple agencies that would be involved in response to a flooding event along San Francisquito Creek. Over 65 representatives from 30 organizations participated in the exercise. The updated San Francisquito Creek Quick Guide was used during this exercise.
On March 27, 2025, Valley Water and the City of Sunnyvale hosted the West Valley Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Tabletop Exercise, bringing together 50 participants to validate the updated EAP and strengthen relationships and coordination with local response partners. Centered around a severe weather and flooding scenario, the exercise focused on public information, planning, and operational coordination. Participants discussed alert systems, evacuation and shelter procedures, and field operations, with Valley Water staff providing a briefing on local channel dynamics. Agencies represented included the City of Sunnyvale, City of Santa Clara, City of Gilroy, City of Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County, Santa Clara County Fire, American Red Cross, Sunnyvale ARES, and Valley Water. The exercise also highlighted how Valley Water monitors flood conditions and deploys field teams, contributing to a productive event that reinforced local readiness.
In March 2025, Valley Water staff served on an exercise planning team for a county wide exercise put on by Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs and CAL FIRE.
On May 22, 2025, Valley Water staff supported a large-scale flooding exercise in Monterey County.
In June 2025, Valley Water participated in a multi-day exercise hosted by CAL FIRE, Santa Clara County Fire Chiefs, and the South Bay Incident Management Team.
On June 9, 2025, Valley Water OES staff participated in a large-scale exercise conducted by Santa Clara County. The role was in the simulated cell where a master scenario events list was used to guide the exercise and assess responses of the Emergency Operating Center participants (players). This provided Valley Water staff with insight on the preparation of agency partners in the event of an actual scenario.

KPI #4: (Effectiveness)

On December 4, 2024, Valley Water, in partnership with the City of Palo Alto conducted a tabletop exercise focused on the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) plan
On December 18, 2024, Valley Water staff met with the San Francisquito Creek Multi-Agency Coordination (SFC MAC) group coordinators for an After-Action Report for the recent tabletop exercise. An After-Action Report is a structured review of an exercise, to assess what happened, what went well, and what needs improvement. It includes a summary of objectives, key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for future training. An After-Action Meeting includes representatives from all the organizations that participated in the exercise, is held to review the report’s findings, and adopt an improvement plan based on the report’s findings.
On March 27, 2025, Valley Water and the City of Sunnyvale hosted the West Valley Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Tabletop Exercise and will complete the After-Action review in the fourth quarter.

October 2025

For more information:

Alexander Gordon, (408) 630-2637

No current documents.

Safe, Clean Water Program Documents

FY22-36 Key Performance Indicator for the Safe, Clean Water Program

Coordinate with local municipalities to merge Valley Water-endorsed flood emergency processes with their own emergency response plans and processes.
Complete five (5) flood management plans/procedures per 5-year period, selected by risk priorities.
Train Valley Water staff and partner municipalities annually on disaster procedures via drills and exercises before testing the plans and procedures.
Test flood management plans/procedures annually to ensure effectiveness.

Benefits

Reduces flood damage
Improves flood preparedness
Provides effective coordinated response to disaster-related emergencies
Improves community awareness about disaster-related risks

Geographic Area of Benefit

Countywide

About the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program

In November 2020, voters in Santa Clara County overwhelmingly approved Measure S, a renewal of Valley Water’s Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program.

The program was first passed by voters in 2000 as the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan, then again in 2012 as the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. The renewal of the Safe, Clean Water Program will continue to provide approximately $47 million annually for local projects that deliver safe, clean water, natural flood protection, and environmental stewardship to all the communities we serve in Santa Clara County.

While evaluating ways to improve the 2012 program, Valley Water gathered feedback from more than 21,000 community members. That helped Valley Water create the six priorities for the renewed Safe, Clean Water Program, which are:

Priority A: Ensure a Safe, Reliable Water Supply
Priority B: Reduce Toxins, Hazards and Contaminants in our Waterways
Priority C: Protect our Water Supply and Dams from Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters
Priority D: Restore Wildlife Habitat and Provide Open Space
Priority E: Provide Flood Protection to Homes, Businesses, Schools, Streets and Highways
Priority F: Support Public Health and Public Safety for Our Community

Each year, Valley Water prepares a report providing a progress update for each of these program priorities, along with fiscal year accomplishments.

To ensure transparency and accountability to the voters, the ballot measure also created an Independent Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors. The Independent Monitoring Committee annually reviews the program’s progress to ensure the outcomes are achieved in a cost-efficient manner and reports its findings to the Board. Additionally, the IMC also reviews each proposed 5-year implementation plan prior to its submittal for Board approval.

In addition, the program requires three independent audits.

View the Safe, Clean Water Program’s annual reports, annual IMC audit reports, and independent audits, including a staff response, on the Valley Water website.