The San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors have authorized emergency funding to repair storm-related damage to the access road that reaches the Lyon Surface Water Treatment Plant.
A slow-moving landslide has rendered the access road impassible by vehicles. The slide, approximately 200 feet long and 200 feet wide, began more than a week ago and has been shifting about 6 inches per day. It is located on District property. Over the weekend, the slide’s pace escalated and it began compromising redwood trees near the road.
The slide is not threatening the treatment plant or the steel water storage tank located at the site, and is it not having a direct impact on District operations. However, District employees who work at the treatment plant must walk about a quarter mile to the plant.
District staff is working with geotechnical engineers and geologists to determine ways to temporarily resolve the issue. The District also is coordinating with the Santa Cruz County geologist to ensure the safety and protection of downstream areas. No homes are threatened by the slide.
The San Lorenzo Valley District Board of Directors held a special meeting at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, to discuss the slide. Attending Directors voted unanimously to authorize $150,000 in emergency funds to attempt to halt the slide. A permanent fix will be developed in the future. The District will seek to recover some repair costs through the County’s State of Emergency Declaration.
This storm-related damage adds to the estimated $1.5 million in repair costs to the SLVWD water system this winter. A request for federal funds was made in early February through the office of U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo.
The Lyons Surface Water Treatment Plant, on the west side of Highway 9 along Ben Lomond Mountain, was constructed in 1994. Surface water from Clear Creek, Foreman Creek, Peavine Creek, Silver Creek and Sweetwater Creek are gravity fed to the filtration plant. Water treated at the plant primarily serves the north system of SLVWD’s service area, occasionally serving the entire District.
ABOUT THE SAN LORENZO VALLEY WATER DISTRICT
The San Lorenzo Valley Water District is located in the mountains of northern Santa Cruz County. The district serves more than 7,800 metered connections. Established in 1941, the district supplies water to the communities of Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Ben Lomond, Zayante, Scotts Valley, Mañana Woods and Felton. For more information, visit www.slvwd.com or www.facebook.com/slvwaterdistrict.