Construction repairs began on Arroyo Grande Creek in Oceano the week of Sept. 11 and are expected to take several months to complete.
The project’s two phases aim to fix damage caused by this past winter’s storms, when an overwhelmed Arroyo Grande Creek caused a levee to break on the south side of the creek. Earlier this summer, the SLO County Board of Supervisors authorized a project focused on sediment removal (phase 1) and one that will rehabilitate the levee (phase 2).
Brandon Zuniga, a water resources engineer for the Public Works Department, told New Times they’re estimating the projects will be completed sometime in January 2024, depending on how conditions are at the creek this winter.
“Phase 1 began construction at the creek and will finish up in early November, most likely,” he said. “So our phase 2 will likely begin construction in early November and that will probably take about 30 working days and put us into December. Then we have a phase 2 project where we’re still working on the final plans and final specifications for the contractor, but we’re trying to get it all down as quickly as possible.”
Due to storm-related damages, Zuniga said 11,100 cubic yards of sediment polluted the creek. Figuring out exactly what to do with that much sediment is challenging, so most of the unusable sediment will end up at a landfill disposal site, he said.
Another concern facing the project is the capacity of Lopez Lake. Zuniga said that on Sept. 12, the lake was at 97 percent capacity. While that’s good news for cities that depend on the water supply, it means that water could spill into the creek earlier in this upcoming winter season, especially since a strong El Niño weather pattern is forecast this year.
“When I checked this morning, [NATO] was saying that it’s a 95 percent chance that [El Niño] is going to persist through February 2023, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to be a wet year, but it does mean that it’s going to be some kind of above average precipitation,” he said.
Zuniga said the team was extremely delighted to receive $1.2 million in state funding, secured earlier this summer with the help of state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) and Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-San Luis Obispo).
“It’s a great feeling to hear that news, and we’re so grateful for their help and listening to the needs of the Public Works staff and the constituents,” Zuniga said.
In an email to New Times, Laird said he and Addis visited the creek during the atmospheric events in January, where they “both saw a clear need to do more to protect families in Oceano.”
“That’s why I am grateful to have worked with the Assembly member to secure $1.2 million from the state to support improving the Arroyo Grande Creek levee, and in turn, protecting vital community resources such as the regional airport, prime agricultural land, and the wastewater treatment plant,” Laird wrote. Δ
This article appears in Student Guide 2023.
