The San Bruno Creek Flood Zone encompasses the area that drains to San Bruno Creek, made up of parts of the city of San Bruno and South San Francisco, San Francisco International Airport, and unincorporated County of San Mateo. This creek is prone to flooding, especially during high tide levels in the San Francisco Bay. The San Bruno Creek Flood Zone is one of the four long-standing active flood zones that OneShoreline inherited from the former San Mateo County Flood Control District.
Along the Creek, complexity of ownership has led to disaggregated data and stalled solutions. Many neighborhoods that drain to the Creek, particularly the Belle Air neighborhood, have faced chronic and substantial localized flooding for years. This frequent flooding will only get worse as climate changes, and long-time residents have reported that recent storms resulted in the worst flooding they have seen in 40 years. OneShoreline is building upon past studies and local expertise to scope a regional project tying into SFO’s Shoreline Protection Program to the south and South San Francisco’s efforts to protect its Water Quality Control Plant from flooding to the north. Three potential project components have been identified that could address the significant flooding issues observed in this region:
- A pump station that would carry the excess flows around the existing tide gate where the San Bruno Creek meets the San Francisco Bay, along with a backup generator to ensure continued function during a storm event;
- The rehabilitation of two existing pump stations, built in the 1960s and owned/operated by OneShoreline, that facilitate stormwater drainage from San Bruno to the San Francisco Bay;
- The design and construction of a detention basin at an existing low elevation site along 7th Avenue to increase capacity at the site to store water during high-intensity rainfall events, especially those that occur during high tide.
Starting in January 2024, OneShoreline is also working with local agencies and community partners, including Rise South City, to better share information to residents and businesses in the Belle Air neighborhood (particularly along 7th Avenue), provide support through severe weather events, and facilitate community action. This includes developing and distributing a “Quick Guide to Safety Before, During, and After a Storm” to residents and businesses along 7th Avenue – available here in English and Spanish.
