Around Town … with Robert Airoldi: As Anderson Reservoir is drained, recreation areas closed for safety

Fishing will be closed for the entire reservoir shoreline

By Robert Airoldi

Valley Water will begin draining Anderson Reservoir starting Oct. 1 to the lowest level using the existing outlet. This is in response to an order by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission earlier this year to reduce the risk to the public should Anderson Dam fail during a major earthquake.

Draining the reservoir is the first in a series of activities aimed at making the dam earthquake safe.

To keep the public safe during construction, Valley Water is closing many recreation areas around Anderson Dam and the reservoir behind it for several years, until the current dam is entirely replaced with a new dam. They are: 

• Toyon Group Picnic and Parking Areas; Serpentine Trail; Dam Crest

• Woodchoppers Flat

• Anderson Lake Park’s boating and fishing, boat and vehicle parking areas, and boat ramp; Coyote Road from the toe of the dam to the boat and vehicle parking areas; and Lakeview Trail is closed from the Anderson Launch Ramp parking lot trailhead to the westernmost junction with the Rancho Laguna Seca Trail.

Fishing will be closed for the entire reservoir shoreline. The Live Oak Picnic Area will remain open to the public and can be accessed from Cochrane Road.

Valley Water wants input before it takes the next step and will host a Zoom community meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17 where they will present the latest information on the Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit project.

To attend the meeting, visit: www.valleywater.zoom.us/j/99622557783

Dial: +1 669 900 9128

Webinar ID: 996 2255 7783

They will also stream the meeting on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/SCVWD

To submit a question, please email [email protected] or call (408) 630-2342 through Sept. 16. Valley Water will begin work on retrofitting the dam and spillway once a new, larger tunnel is complete. That project is estimated to start in 2024 and will last about seven years.

The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Peninsula Open Space Trust completed the purchase of a 235-acre parcel for $16 million in the North Coyote Valley Conservation Area.

The property was previously owned by longtime South Bay real estate developer, The Sobrato Organization, and was slated for industrial development. In November 2019, a public-private partnership among POST, the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and the city of San Jose was formed.

North Coyote Valley is a critical wildlife linkage between the Santa Cruz and Diablo mountain ranges. Permanently protecting it helps mitigate potential flooding impact from extreme weather events and builds climate change resiliency.

“The conservation and restoration of Coyote Valley is a long-term effort with long-term positive impacts for all who live here,” said Walter T. Moore, president of POST.

Are you interested in public education and have time to serve on the Gilroy Unified School District board of trustees? If you live in the southwest area of Gilroy, you might want to consider a possible appointment.

The Trustee Area 5 seat was left vacant after Anish Munshi resigned in June. This November, voters will elect three trustee seats. The district opened an additional election seat to fill Munshi’s. No one stepped up to fill the two-year term for Trustee Area 5. So following the Education Code the board intends to appoint a member of the community to that seat to serve a two-year term beginning Dec. 4, 2020.  The board will make an appointment at a public meeting prior to Election Day Nov. 3. Interested in being appointed? If you are at least 18 years of age, living within the boundary of Trustee Area 5 and registered to vote, send a cover letter and resume to [email protected] no later than 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18.

Pollution prevention starts at our front door. The trash in our neighborhood often winds up in storm drains, creeks, rivers, and ultimately travels all the way out to the bay, polluting those waters. That’s why we encourage Gilroyans to join a socially distanced cleanup in their neighborhood and local natural areas. This year, California Coastal Cleanup has been extended from one day to four to minimize overcrowding of volunteers. Across the state, thousands of volunteers will spread out every Saturday in September from 9 a.m. to noon to help keep our waterways clean.

Participate in at least one Saturday morning cleanup by pledging to volunteer at www.cleanacreek.org. Participants should follow social distancing guidelines, wear a face covering, long pants and sturdy shoes, sunscreen, and bring a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.

Together we all are making a difference in our local waterways.