Twain Harte Stormwater Project Completed

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Twain Harte, CA – A project to protect water quality and reduce flood risk in Twain Harte has been completed with funding from a state grant.

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Twain Harte Community Services District have completed a stormwater project, partly funded by a $3.7 million grant from the Board’s Stormwater Grant Program. It authorized $7.5 billion in general obligation bonds for water projects including surface and groundwater storage, ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration, and drinking water protection. The Twain Harte grant funded the replacement of outdated storm drains, installed stormwater capture technology, and created bioswales, or landscapes, that filter out pollutants to slow and capture runoff.

“This project is like a dream come true,” said Twain Harte Community Services District General Manager Tom Trott. “With the State Water Board’s assistance, we are boosting water quality, reducing flood risk, and transforming paved areas into traditional landscapes accessible to all.”

Twain Harte is prone to flooding due to steep topography and a high water table, which is made worse by aging stormwater infrastructure, a high water table, and wide parking lots. According to state water officials, these release excess sediment and pollutants into Twain Harte Creek, which is on the state’s list of impaired or threatened waters.

The funding allowed for improvements at four sites, including a 5,000-gallon rain tank at an elementary school and a rain garden at a new community park. These improvements will help keep sediment, nutrients, and heavy metals out of Twain Harte Creek and Phoenix Lake, which are primary sources of drinking water for several communities, including Twain Harte, Sonora, Jamestown, and Columbia.

“This is a great example of a low-impact, nature-based stormwater project that can produce benefits for water quality, flood control, and even recreation,” said Joe Karkoski, deputy director of the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance. “The Twain Harte project was the ideal candidate for support from the Stormwater Grant Program, which focuses on changing the perception of stormwater as a contaminant source into a valuable resource.”

The board has provided over $28 million for various projects in Tuolumne County since 2019, including $8.6 million for drinking water, $16 million for wastewater management, and $3.7 million for stormwater projects.