Searsville Watershed Restoration Project

What is the Searsville Watershed Restoration Project (SWRP)?

Searsville Dam was constructed in 1892 on San Francisquito Creek, as a water supply dam for the early Stanford University and Palo Alto region as it was developing. A second earth-filled dam - Felt dam - was built by Mr. Job Felt in 1876 and sold to Mr. Stanford in 1887, which added to the water supply system for the University. Both reservoirs have provided surface water supplies to the University over the past century for non-potable applications. As a result of their long-term operations, both Felt and Searsville dams have safety and environmental issues that required Stanford to evaluate approaches to address these concerns.

In 2011, Stanford University began formal development of a proposed project to address water supply, flood risk, and environmental improvements related to Searsville Dam, Felt Dam and existing San Francisquito Creek pump station diversion facilities. Stanford formed both a Steering Committee and the Searsville Advisory Group to guide the proposed project's goals and actions.

DWR is the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Lead Agency on behalf of Stanford University. DWR accepted the Lead Agency role under its dam safety regulatory review authority within the Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD).

Where is the project located?

The proposed Searsville Watershed Restoration Project takes place in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, near the communities of Woodside, Palo Alto, and Portola Valley. 

 

Project Proponent:

Stanford University is the project proponent. For more information about Stanford’s work on the Searsville Watershed Restoration Project please visit: https://searsville.stanford.edu/

Project Updates:

Stanford began the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review processes for the SWRP in February

2023 in coordination with DWR as CEQA Lead Agency, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as the Lead NEPA Agency. After San Francisquito Creek flooded in late December 2022, the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) and the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) updated the hydrologic and hydraulic models for the creek, which USACE approved in July 2025. Stanford has revised the SWRP flow and sediment transport modeling and analyses based on the updated data which will inform and modify the preferred and action alternatives by spring/summer 2026. The action alternatives include Bypass Channel and Dam Removal and No Action.

Stanford continues to work with USACE to better understand the newly revised NEPA regulations and is supporting coordination between separate CEQA and NEPA documents.

There will be two (2) joint ACOE & DWR public scoping meetings scheduled to receive any additional input for NEPA and CEQA consideration.

The two (2) virtual public scoping meetings will be held via Zoom:

 

1. Tuesday, April 7 at 1 p.m.

https://kearnswest.zoom.us/j/87367664795?pwd=wnm3EeC2TO6bDTlgPP6PbLf2ib0cuA.1

 

2. Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m.

https://kearnswest.zoom.us/j/89869392029?pwd=VaMqVfwbbrvmmAA849OFVhiYPrHWL7.1

March 19, 2026 – Supplemental NOP posted to the State Clearinghouse for public review. SCH Number 2023020346

February 9, 2026 – USACE posts a revised Public Notice for the updated Searsville Project. SPN-2013-00048 the Searsville Watershed Restoration Project.

February 28, 2023 – DWR and USACE held two virtual public scoping meetings to present information to the public and to receive comments from the public on the proposed project, alternatives, and the scope of the environmental analysis.

February 14, 2023 – DWR released the Notice of Preparation (NOP) of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), consistent with the requirements of CEQA. The Public Scoping comment period extended to the deadline of April 7, 2023.

 

What led to the development of the project?

In the early 1900s, Stanford University purchased the Searsville Dam and associated water rights to ensure adequate water supply for the University campus. After 130 years of operation, the accumulation of natural sediments has reduced the Searsville Dam water storage capacity by 90%, impacting available surface water supplies for university properties. Since its construction 130 years ago, Searsville dam has impeded access to historic spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous and native fish in the upper watershed tributaries of San Francisquito Creek, and interrupted sediment transport to the Bay which has affected natural ecosystem functions within the watershed.

The Stanford Steering Committee and the Searsville Advisory groups agreed any future project must address the following objectives:

· Restore natural downstream sediment transport and creek flows

· Restore natural, volitional fish passage past Searsville dam

· Avoid increasing flood risks downstream compared to existing conditions

· Protecting important cultural resources in the project footprint

· Minimize disruptions to Jasper Ridge Biological Reserve ongoing research

How would the proposed project work?

Stanford University in partnership with the Searsville Advisory Team and federal and state resources agencies developed a proposed project consisting of the following key project components:

· A large tunnel and gate system at the base of Searsville Dam to safely reduce peak stormwater flows and allow sediment to pass downstream

· Re-establishing natural creek (pilot) channels within Searsville reservoir sediment basin to direct flows and sediment through the proposed tunnel

· Restore natural streambank vegetation to stabilize banks along creek channels in the reservoir basin

· Install downstream log and boulder instream habitat structures/sediment traps

· Modify and update San Francisquito Creek Pump Station to upgrade pumping capacity and operational flexibility for improved water supply and streamflow management ecosystem benefits

· Rebuild Felt Dam and Reservoir to increase storage capacity to replace historic non-potable water supplies, add water supply reliability during droughts, and improve earthquake safety