Manteca’s storm system — that for the most part has been working flawlessly for years — could be expanded to make sure new growth doesn’t create problems.
The city has been working with the South San Joaquin Irrigation District to make sure that storm run-off being sent into the drainage canal along the Union Pacific tracks separating Manteca from Lathrop and flows north into the French Camp Slough and ultimately the San Joaquin River will be able to accommodate growth.
Manteca is also working with Oakwood Lake Shores — the gated 480-home community built where the Manteca Waterslides once stood — to see if future storm run-off as southwest Manteca develops could be sent to the river around the gated community’s lakes and into the San Joaquin River.
The city in January 2020 authorized the expenditure and execution of an Agreement for Professional Services with Dewberry Engineering in an amount not to exceed $1,191,268for the Zone 36/39 Storm Drain Improvements Project to provide engineering, environmental, and permitting.
The pandemic disrupted the firm’s work although they were able to complete 90 percent of the construction drawings and accompanying specifications and submitted them for the various environmental permits
Environmental permitting for the project is complex and involves the following federal and state agencies:
*U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
*Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board *California Department of Fish and Wildlife
*Central Valley Flood Protection Board
*Reclamation District 17
*Oakwood Lake Water District
Tonight, the City Council when they meet at 7 p.m. will consider approving a $193,6000 addendum to the Dewberry contract to complete the work needed before the project is able to go out for bid.
The project includes a 66-inch gravity storm drain line within Woodward Avenue to property owned by RD 17 on Aplicella Court. From the RD 17 property, a pump station and 48- inch force main will carry the storm runoff to the former Oakwood Lake Water District corporation yard then over the levy to an outfall structure on the San Joaquin River.
Manteca’s storm water system has eliminated flooding — save for localized issues that happen when drains get clogged with debris during downpours — due to efforts over the years to build a series of storm retention basins in parks and oversizing storm pipes serving central Manteca.
When SSJID canals are unable to handle storm runoff due to volume, water flows into the basins. A telemetry system keeps track of water flows in canals and — when space is created — releases water from the basins back into the storm system.
It has eliminated yearly flooding problems that often occurred given Manteca’s flat terrain during steady periods of rain or during cloudbursts.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
