Grants may help stop Schellville flooding

Editorial
Monday, December 26, 2005

Alleviating the annual flooding in Schellville and restoring its wetlands habitat have taken a major step forward with the award of nearly $1.4 million from three sources to the Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District.

The grants of $757,500 from the California Coastal Conservancy, $492,000 from the Army Corps of Engineers, and $150,000 from the Sonoma County Water Agency will fund the second phase of a two-part project to determine the best alternative for alleviating the winter flooding caused by Sonoma Creek and restoring the habitat along the portion of the creek that flows through Schellville.

"There are numerous alternatives," said Leandra Swent, manager of the Southern Sonoma County Resource Conservation District.

"The grants will fund the scientific studies to determine which is the most feasible. Then they will pay to design the actual project and conduct the environmental review process, so we can receive the required federal, state and local permits," she said.

Swent anticipates this will take two years to complete. Actual construction would follow.

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