Title
a. Receive a report regarding replacement of tidal gates on Elkhorn Road; and
b. Direct RMA to work with the CAO to prioritize capital project funding allocations to accomplish completion of emergency repairs.
(Board Referral: 2017.27)
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a report regarding replacement of tidal gates on Elkhorn Road (Board Referral: 2017.27); and
b. Direct RMA to work with the CAO to prioritize capital project funding allocations to accomplish completion of emergency repairs.
SUMMARY:
This request came via a Board referral from District 2. The County has been asked to address an issue with a missing tide gate that is located on the end of a culvert under Elkhorn Road. This gate went missing during the 2017 winter storms. There are seven gates in this area that help drainage from Carneros Creek to the Elkhorn Slough. There is a long history with these tide gates, but in summary, the culvert is part of the public road and the flap gates were added by private owners.
County has agreed to assume lead for permitting and constructing this repair. Elkhorn Slough Foundation is assisting to make the case for an emergency need.
DISCUSSION:
Monterey County was made aware of this situation around July by Elkhorn Slough Foundation (ESF). It has taken a few months to iron out the responsible party. Since these gates are private (neither a County nor Water Resource Agency facility), it was not identified by either agency during the events. ESF made reference to the gate going missing during the 2017 winter storms (February 2017), but that is not verifiable. ESF is also making the claim of urgency/emergency due to upstream effects of no gate to regulate water flow.
RMA has identified three possible options:
1) Plug Option: This option is a stopgap measure to better control of salt water through the pipe with the missing flap gate. It involves placing a wooden/metal plug on the pipe with the...
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