Zone 6

Area: 27,400 acres
Natural Creeks: 28 miles
Earth Channels: 25 miles
Concrete Channels: 5 miles
Underground Pipes: 21 miles
Improved Creeks: 1 mile

Location: Fremont
Anticipated Completion: Ongoing

Laguna Creek carries stormwater from the East Bay hills through Fremont to San Francisco Bay. Over time, parts of the channel narrowed and aging infrastructure increased flood risk for nearby neighborhoods and businesses.

To reduce that risk, the District launched a multiphase project to improve the flood control channel and increase capacity for a 100-year storm. Work began downstream near the Bay and is moving upstream. Completed and ongoing improvements include new culverts under Interstate 880, channel widening, new floodwalls, lowered maintenance roads, and outfall upgrades to prevent backup into nearby properties.

For the current project under construction between Grimmer Blvd. and Auto Mall Parkway, the District is also working to protect the creek’s surrounding habitat. The project design includes wetland benches within the channel to create additional habitat for the several species of waterfowl that can be found in the creek. Construction activities are also carefully scheduled around nesting seasons and designed to make use of existing levee roads to minimize ecological impacts.

After all project phases are complete are complete, the District will work with FEMA to reclassify and/or remove the floodplain designation in the area, reducing flood insurance costs and demonstrating how investments in flood protection create lasting benefits for both residents and natural habitats.

For more information on the Laguna Creek project phases, please visit the Alameda County Public Works website.  

Location: Fremont
Anticipated Completion: 2026

Stivers Lagoon, a historic wetland near Lake Elizabeth in Fremont’s Central Park, once supported a thriving marsh ecosystem but had gradually begun to dry out during the summer months. The District was awarded a $2 million grant from the California State Coastal Conservancy to rehabilitate the Stivers Lagoon marsh by diverting water from Mission Creek into a new pond within the lagoon.

From September 2024 through February 2025, the District removed overgrown, unhealthy, and obstructive trees that had limited water flow and reduced the lagoon’s capacity. The work was carefully scheduled to avoid the bird nesting season and minimize disturbance to wildlife, while creating space for improved water circulation, increased storage capacity, and future native habitat protection. Additional restoration efforts began in May 2025 when the District removed approximately 8,000 cubic yards of soils to deepen a portion of the lagoon and establish a new marsh environment.

The District partnered with the City of Fremont to design a new catwalk and recreational features. A new pedestrian bridge will connect the parking lot with the lagoon along a multi-use trail. The remaining lagoon construction and recreational features including the catwalk are scheduled to be completed in summer 2026.

For more information on the Stivers Lagoon project, visit the Alameda County Public Works website.

Location: Fremont
Anticipated Completion: 2026

Agua Caliente is an open concrete lined trapezoidal channel between I-680 Freeway and Curtner Road. The existing concrete lined channel is experiencing deterioration and cracking.

In summer 2026, the District will remove the existing deteriorating concrete lined channel and restore it to a natural earthen creek with rock step pools that connect the existing lower and upper culverts. The restoration work will remove the concrete channel, widen the channel banks, and plant new riparian vegetation and native upland plants. In addition, the existing gravel access road will be resurfaced. The restored channel will maintain its capacity to contain and convey 100-year design storm flows. The project will extend the service life of the District’s flood control facility.

Location: Fremont
Anticipated Completion: 2025

Washington Creek is an open earthen channel which has been experiencing channel incision and bank instability. The Project will restore approximately 1,300-foot long channel between Alice Court and Olive Avenue. The existing channel alignment will be maintained, except where it is necessary to move the channel away from eroding slopes. The channel bed will be raised to restore the channel thalweg close to original channel profile elevations. Riffles and pools will be constructed at select locations to provide grade control and limit future degradation of the channel bottom. Steeper channel bank slopes will be stabilized by installing rock toe protection planted with live cuttings and vegetated soil lifts.