Searsville Watershed Restoration Project

Welcome!

Stanford University is proposing to implement the Searsville Watershed Restoration Project to restore and enhance this watershed.

About the Project

The Searsville Watershed Restoration Project involves:

Reestablishing natural free-flowing creeks and sediment transport processes
Establishing fish passage through a tunnel to be constructed through the base of the Searsville Dam
Restoring streams and riparian habitats immediately upstream of the dam
Flushing a substantial amount of sediment currently trapped behind the dam
Replacing the surface water diversion and storage capacity through modifications to the downstream San Francisquito Creek Pump Station and Felt Reservoir

This will transform the area of the current Searsville Reservoir into a confluence valley, complete with freeflowing streams and a natural riparian forest. This project will also allow for sediment to be transported to the bay where it will help restore natural functions and fortify the shoreline.

Current Project Status

Updated June 2, 2026

Stanford formally started the state California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review processes for the SWRP in February 2023. The environmental application review process is being conducted by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

A Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Preparation (NOP) related to the Searsville project was previously published in February 2023. Changes in hydrologic and hydraulic modeling for San Francisquito Creek following publication of the previous notices led to changes in the proposed project. A new 404 permit application was submitted on January 26, 2026. A new Notice of Intent was published on March 13, 2026 and an amended Notice of Preparation was published on March 17, 2026. Public scoping meetings were held on April 7 and April 8, 2026.

The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are being drafted and the public draft of each of these documents is expected to be released for review and comment before the end of 2026.