A key section of a highly-traveled west Sonoma County road recently flooded by Green Valley Creek could remain closed for weeks longer than originally anticipated due to a permitting hiccup that delayed the start of emergency repair work.
Crews were supposed to start their efforts as soon as Tuesday to fix a portion of the creek and Green Valley Road, which the county closed last week after the latest series of storms. But officials learned Friday that before beginning to legally remove sediment and vegetation from the creek they would need to first secure a permit required by the California Endangered Species Act.
The permit is necessary because the creek repairs could potentially kill or capture endangered coho salmon or endangered California freshwater shrimp, according to Craig Weightman, a Napa-based environmental program manager with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The permit may take two weeks to issue, Weightman said.
The delay has frustrated nearby residents, who are forced by the road closure to drive well out of their way to travel around the area west of Graton. Storms have long caused flooding at Green Valley Road and Green Valley Creek, but the problem has gotten worse in recent years, residents said.
“Of course I respect and understand the environmental part of it, but at the same time there has been work done around this issue,” said Andrea Loveday-Brown, who lives on Thomas Road not far from the flooded area. “It’s not like this is the first time this concern has come up. “It just seems so unacceptable to now have two weeks added to that timeline.”
Officials previously estimated it could take about a week to complete repairs to the creek, which swelled so much it jumped its banks and began charting a new course over Green Valley Road. The rushing water also badly damaged the road, prompting the county to erect barriers blocking through traffic.
Once the road is cleared of running water, crews can start fixing the broken pavement. Susan Klassen, director of the county’s transportation and public works department, told residents at a neighborhood meeting Friday she could not predict how long that would take. The county might reopen one lane, if it’s determined to be safe once the water recedes.
Weightman also said he could not pinpoint an exact date for the permit’s issuance, but stressed his department was working as fast as possible. Two weeks would mark a “tremendous push” to get the permit approved, he said.
“Anytime we issue a permit, it takes a lot longer than that,” Weightman said. “There’s a lot of back and forth and consultation. I am aiming to make that happen and to really make this a top priority, because I understand that this is a safety issue for those involved.”
During the creek repair, Sonoma County Water Agency crews plan to remove sediment and vegetation in an effort to make the channel next to Green Valley Road deeper and wider, encouraging the creek to remain in its channel.
But removing sediment could also harm endangered fish in the stream by inadvertently crushing or suffocating them while stirring up sediment, Weightman said, adding that once water ceases to flow in the flooded area, it may leave endangered fish stranded.
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