Rock Creek Flood Study Project

The Rock Creek Flood Study Project is a feasibility study to identify flood risk reduction solutions in the Rock Creek-Keefer Slough watershed. The project will involve significant community input, with a series of at least four meetings to 1) Introduce the project, process, and timeline; 2) Seek input on solutions and criteria that will help prioritize project alternatives; 3) Refine project alternatives; and 4) Present a comparative analysis of costs and benefits of each project alternative. This feasibility study is the first step toward design and implementation of flood risk reduction projects in the watershed.

The process will begin with project scoping, continue with a robust alternatives analysis, and then clearly identify a preferred alternative. The study will incorporate quality engineering, economics, real estate, and environmental analyses, with the goal of ensuring that the feasibility study results in actionable decisions within a reasonable time frame and cost. The goal of the feasibility study is to identify a preferred alternative, which can include structural projects such as levees, and nonstructural projects such as waterproofing and raising structures.

The project study area is the Rock Creek-Keefer Slough Watershed north of the City of Chico. The watershed includes several residential neighborhoods, the community of Nord, agricultural land, and other community uses in unincorporated Butte County. The watershed is generally east and west of Highway 99 from the headwaters of Rock Creek to the Sacramento River to the southwest. Principal roadways within the study area include Keefer Road, Garner Lane, Highway 99, Wilson Landing Road, Nord Highway, and Hamilton Nord Cana Highway.