Uvas Creek Trail Closed Saturday For Flood Control Rehab Work

GILROY, CA — As fall approaches, water agencies that experienced more runoff than most bargained for during the West Coast's deluge last year are prepping for a nearing winter that may deliver any type of punch.

With that, the Uvas Creek Levee Trail outside Gilroy will be closed between Miller and Luchessa avenues this Saturday as Santa Clara Valley Water works on the levee from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The water district is installing netting as fencing.

The rehabilitation project aims to reduce flood risk and keep communities safe.

The residents of a mobile home community are all too familiar with this scenario being situated smack dab along the creek that can easily overflow and strand them.

Currently, the Uvas Creek Levee Rehabilitation Project is helping to offset some of the severe damage to its levee along Uvas Creek caused by burrowing animals such as ground squirrels. These critters created a series of tunnels and holes along the one-mile stretch within the levee in a quasi "caddyshack" war.

The project is rebuilding the levee to its as-built condition and making measures to prevent further holes from popping up. It is removing and replacing both banks from Miller Avenue to the Gilroy Sports Park. The maintenance repair is required to maintain the 100-year flood conveyance of Uvas Creek.

Valley Water is implementing the project in two phases. Phase 1 is addressing the land side of the levee. Phase 2 will address the creek side of the levee.