San Jose Flood Protection Project Receives $25M 'Gift' From State
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) – It was a late Christmas present for San Jose officials as a flood protection project has received a multi-million dollar "gift" from the state.
The state is rewarding $25 million in Proposition 1E money to complete flood protection work on Lower Silver Creek in San Jose.
"The Lower Silver Creek is a creek that's flooded numerous times over the past 50 years and there are about 3,800 properties that are at risk of flooding," said Santa Clara Valley District spokesman Marty Grimes. "They're in the FEMA flood zone."
KCBS' Betsy Gebhart Reports:
The project runs from Highway 680 to Lake Cunningham.
Grimes said construction was put on hold in 2007 due to a lack of funds. But now, the project is expected to be completed by 2014.
He said the waterway will include the creation of nine acres of freshwater wetland and improved water quality.
This comes as the state of California has released the first statewide flood-control plan, which calls for between $14 and $17 billion in repairs and other investments.
State Department of Water Resources officials said that more than half of California's 1,500 miles of levees don't meet standards.
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