Why this matters
Residents and politicians alike say the city of San Diego has neglected the prevention of flooding, especially in historically underserved communities. These communities are often made up of low-income people of color.
San Diegans impacted by severe flooding earlier this year could see stormwater infrastructure upgrades in their neighborhoods under a more than $14 million funding request by U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas.
Vargas, whose district includes portions of the city of San Diego and South County communities such as Chula Vista and National City, has asked the federal government to fund two projects involving the Chollas Creek Watershed in southeastern San Diego: storm drain and channel improvements in Southcrest and upgrades to the Jamacha Channel in the Skyline and Paradise Hills neighborhoods.
In Southcrest, Vargas requested $6 million for a Beta Street channel project that would enhance drainage capacity to help the stormwater system withstand flooding from a 100-year storm event. In a letter to the House Committee on Appropriations, he requested installations of a pump station, a berm (a raised barrier meant to direct water), flap gates, a V-shaped ditch made of concrete, new storm drains as well as ground regrading and widening of the Chollas Creek channel along Beta Street.
Vargas has also asked for $8.5 million to partially fund upgrades to the Jamacha Channel, a storm drain in the Skyline-Paradise Hills community. The channel connects to the Chollas Creek Watershed, a network of drainage channels aimed to prevent flooding that spans across several communities including Southeast San Diego, City Heights, Barrio Logan and North Park. The upgrades to the Jamacha Channel will specifically work in the Skyline and Paradise Hills area.
Crews would work upstream in neighborhoods between Jamacha Road and Glencoe Drive, and downstream between Woodman Street and Imperial Avenue. The proposed upgrades include upsizing or improvements to tunneled drains known as culverts in the area; upsizing the existing storm drain system upstream of Beacon Drive, widening channels in multiple locations and reshaping floodplains. The project would also create wetlands for wildlife and a walking trail connection.
Vargas’ funding request comes after a severe storm hit San Diego on Jan. 22 and destroyed millions of dollars worth of homes and property in several San Diego County communities. The Southcrest neighborhood was hit particularly hard.
Vargas’ proposal is part of a package of federal requests for this year’s upcoming budget that also includes other stormwater upgrades such as nearly $4.8 million to replace a culvert near the U.S.-Mexico border and $1.5 million to replace water pipelines in Moosa Canyon in North County.
This story came from notes taken by Carlos Moyeda, a San Diego Documenter, at a Skyline-Paradise Hills Community Planning Group meeting this month. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read more about the program here.
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