Zone 3A Drainage Master Plan Study

A comprehensive drainage master plan was completed for Zone 3A (in parts of Hayward and Union City) in 2010. This area includes the lower reaches of Old Alameda Creek, a major waterway in Alameda County.

The master plan outlines nearly $75 million worth of improvement projects and expected maintenance activities for the next 30 to 50 years. These improvements are needed to provide 100-year flood protection. Once a 100-year flood protection level is reached, nearby properties can be removed from FEMA’s designated Special Flood Hazard Areas, and owners will no longer be required to carry flood insurance.

Most projects are intended to increase the flood-carrying capacity of channels. Additional projects include evaluations and repairs to levees to meet FEMA’s levee standards.

A major project to control sediment deposits in the lower reaches of Old Alameda Creek near San Francisco Bay is part of the plan. Another major project is a new 6.5-mile shoreline inboard levee that will create a flood boundary between low-lying tidal areas and developed areas.