Zone 12 Master Plan

In order to manage stormwater flows, the District is preparing a long-range drainage master plan for “Zone 12.” This plan will present the science behind each of the District’s project design decisions.

Zone 12 covers approximately 80 square miles in Emeryville and Oakland and encompasses Temescal, Glen Echo, Trestle Glen, Sausal, Peralta, Courtland, Seminary, Lion, Arroyo Viejo, Elmhurst, the Stonehurst Creeks and their tributaries, the San Lorenzo Creek Federal Project, and numerous District lines.

Using hydrologic and hydraulic principles and sophisticated computer modeling, District engineers are finding better ways to define the improvements needed to handle 100-year and 25-year stormwater flows in Zone 12.

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Alameda Creek Watershed Historical Study

The Alameda Creek Watershed Historical Ecology Study, published in February 2013, was funded by the District and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The study follows the transformation of the San Francisco Bay’s largest tributary watershed (700 square miles) from the hills, wetlands, and meadows they were long ago to the densely-populated urban region we see today. Hundreds of historical maps, photographs, and documents, alongside current scientific data, were used to create a new geo-database and source of information.

The District is using this historical information to help improve habitats and manage our flood control channels more naturally and sustainably. Using data from the study, we know how water used to flow through the Alameda Creek Watershed, which will enable us to make better decisions about how to improve the health, ecosystems, and management of the watershed. The Alameda Creek Watershed Historical Ecology Study can be downloaded here.

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