California officials begin construction to restore water infrastructure damaged by fire
(UI) — In Boulder Creek, California, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District has started working to rebuild the vital surface water infrastructure that was destroyed in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fires.
As a first step in repairing its Peavine Raw Water Pipeline, which was destroyed by the fire almost three years ago, the district has hired a contractor to start evaluating, cataloging, and eventually removing problematic trees, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel (SCS).
The work is anticipated to help with attempts to rebuild the district's five-mile pipeline, another important surface water asset that was devastated by the fires.
It is very hard for employees to safely reach the area for the essential replacement and repair work due to damage to the surrounding terrain around the pipeline. The key to opening the access needed for finally constructing a permanent solution is the removal of fallen, damaged, or leaning trees.
“The district has been focused on recovering not only from recent storm damage but also from damage sustained in the CZU Fire,” District Manager Rick Rogers told SCS. “It has been a difficult road to bring all of the (San Lorenzo Valley Water District) infrastructure back online. This contract is the first step in moving ahead rehabilitation of the raw water line, once the assessment is complete discussions on how the pipelines will be reconstructed will begin.”
Powers Forestry LLC received the contract in March and will concentrate its efforts on a 1.3-mile stretch of property around Foreman and Peavine Creeks. The undertaking, which began in late April and will take four weeks to complete, is expected to cost $31,970.
Tree inventory tracking and surveying are part of the project's first phase, which identifies the trees that will eventually be cut down to make room for the pipeline. The problematic trees that have fallen, been seriously damaged, or are leaning over will be physically removed during the following phase, which will enlist a six-person team. To prevent erosion, the terrain will be covered in stray small branches and logs.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide a reimbursement grant to cover the majority of the work, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District said in a statement.
The district staff will have a better grasp of the topography after these two phases are finished, at which point they may proceed with considering a building alternative to replace the pipeline.
This story was originally reported by the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
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