Frequently Asked Questions

Part 1. General Questions

What is the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Study?

The South San Francisco Bay Shoreline Study is a congressionally authorized study being performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers together with local sponsors to identify and recommend one or more projects for Federal funding. The Corps is considering projects that will reduce flood damage, restore ecosystems and provide related benefits like public access.

What geographic area does the Shoreline Study cover?

The study will be performed through several “Interim Feasibility Studies”, the first of which will investigate flood protection for all Santa Clara County Baylands, from Palo Alto to Alviso, in addition to the restoration of former salt production ponds within the Alviso Pond complex and adjacent properties such as areas around Moffett Field (See project map.)

Who is managing the project?

The Shoreline Study will be funded through a partnership among the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) and the California State Coastal Conservancy (SCC). The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and other land-owning agencies within the project area will also be involved in the planning process.

Why is the Shoreline Study being conducted now?

The Shoreline Study was originally authorized by Congress in 1976 to assess the need for flood protection in the South Bay. In 1992, the Corps found that it could not within its policy guidelines economically justify developing a Federal flood management project along the South San Francisco Bay Shoreline, mainly because it determined that Cargill Salt would continue to maintain their existing (and un-engineered) salt pond levees due to economic interests. Although these salt pond levees were not engineered or built for the purpose of flood control, they provided incidental flood protection for the neighboring communities.

However, in 2003, the Federal and State government acquired 15,100 acres of the salt ponds in the South Bay from Cargill Salt (who had purchased the land from Leslie Salt) and began planning a restoration project that would ultimately impact the utility of those salt pond levees as flood control structures. As a result, the U.S. House of Representatives requested that the Corps review their previous study on flood control in the San Francisco Bay and expand its scope to include environmental restoration and protection, as well as tidal and fluvial flood protection.

How do I find out more about the Shoreline Study?

Please visit the project web site for more information about the Shoreline Study, including a calendar of upcoming public meetings and documents related to the study (www.southbayshoreline.org). You can also contact:

Yvonne LeTellier, Project Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at 415/977-8466
Mendel Stewart, Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at 510/792-0222
Brenda Buxton, Project Manager, California State Coastal Conservancy at 510/286-0753
Beth Dyer, Project Manager, Santa Clara Valley Water District at 408/265-2600 x3125

Why is the Corps interested in ecosystem restoration?

Ecosystem restoration was designated as a primary mission area for the Corps in 1986, but the Corps has been involved in improving the environment since the passing of the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969. Corps ecosystem restoration projects have taken the form of dam removals and modifications, fish-ladder installation, wetlands creation, and improvements along riparian corridors. In partnership with local agencies, the Corps has been involved in a large number of ecosystem projects across the nation, including the Louisiana Coastal Project and the restoration of the Florida Everglades. In Northern California, the Corps has co-sponsored projects such as Sonoma Baylands and the Napa Salt Marsh Restoration here in the Bay Area and the Yolo Basin Wildlife Area near Sacramento.

Can I count on the Corps/Federal government to actually do this work?

The Corps has approved a management plan for and is committed to funding half of the costs of this feasibility study. The Corps and its non-Federal partners (the Conservancy and SCVWD) will complete this study, with the completion date contingent on the availability of Federal and non-Federal funding. Construction of a project for flood control and/or ecosystem restoration would require a positive finding from this study (based on Corps policy and other Federal guidelines), concurrence with the non-Federal partners on the study’s recommendation for a project, as well as Congressional authorization and funding after the study is completed.

When is the project going to be built?

If the feasibility study recommends and Congress approves a project, detailed design of project features would begin in 2010 (the earliest year the project would be eligible for authorization in a Water Resources Development Act, based on the current study schedule) and construction could begin as early as 2012 (assuming 2 years for detailed design). Construction could begin as soon as Congress appropriates funds to the authorized project.

Part 2. Relationship to the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

How does the Shoreline Study relate to the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project?

The Shoreline Study provides an opportunity to secure Federal funding to assist in implementing the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. If the Shoreline Study successfully results in a project authorized by Congress for construction, Federal funding would be leveraged with State and local funding to implement some or all of the Salt Pond Project.

Are the two efforts complementary?

Yes. The Salt Pond Restoration Project is confined to activities within the property owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game, while the Shoreline Study encompasses the Salt Pond Project area plus areas between the major salt pond clusters. In addition, the Salt Pond Project is generally being developed at a programmatic level of detail, while the Shoreline Study is being developed at a project level of detail.

Will the Shoreline Study result in a different plan than the Salt Pond Project?

The intent is that the plans will be fully complementary. The purposes of the Shoreline Study and the South Bay Salt Pond Project are similar: to develop plans that provide the greatest benefit to the Bay Area community, the State, and the nation. However, the emphasis of the Shoreline Study is to determine if there is a plan (and what the plan is) that represents the best investment of Federal dollars. This plan will help determine the degree of Federal investment in the Salt Pond Project plan.

What is the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project?

The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is a collaborative effort among Federal, State and local agencies working with scientists and the public to develop a programmatic plan for habitat restoration, flood management and wildlife-oriented public access within the 15,100 acres of former Cargill salt ponds in South San Francisco Bay. The State Coastal Conservancy, California Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service jointly manage the project in collaboration with the Army Corps of Engineers, Alameda County Flood Control District and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The Army Corps of Engineers is a Joint Federal Lead Agency with USFWS on the Salt Pond EIS/EIR.