Santa Clara County Reps Announce $50M in Federal Funding for Coyote Creek Flood Protection Project

SAN JOSE, CA - Today, U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced that Valley Water has been selected to receive approximately $50,000,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support flood protection efforts along Coyote Creek.

Valley Water completed nearly all construction of the Phase 1 project for Coyote Creek flood protection. This funding will help enable the construction of Phase 2, which will finish the project and help enable the seismic retrofit of Anderson Dam.

"Seven years ago, our San Jose community experienced significant flooding during a series of winter storms, forcing more than 14,000 residents to evacuate. As the threat of natural disasters becomes more disruptive because of climate change, it is vital to make investments that reduce the risk of flooding. Thanks to this federal funding, Valley Water will be able to continue to improve flood mitigation infrastructure along Coyote Creek. We will keep working together to ensure that communities have the resources they need to prepare for and remain safe during natural disasters," said Reps. Lofgren, Eshoo, Khanna, and Panetta.

This funding comes from FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program, which provides communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program with funding to reduce flooding risk and build community resilience.

Funding for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program typically comes from revenue collected on policies offered by the National Flood Insurance Program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Reps. Lofgren, Eshoo, Khanna, and Panetta voted in favor of, additionally provided $3.5 billion for the Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant Program over five years.

In January 2024, Reps. Lofgren, Eshoo, and Khanna sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Criswellin support of the Coyote Creek Flood Protection Project.

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