This is my third article in The RSF Post regarding flooding issues pertaining to the proposed Silvergate project.
I have continued to do my homework on the potential liability that hangs over the Silvergate developer, the Rancho Santa Fe Association, Board and Art Jury as it relates to flooding in the San Dieguito River Valley. According to the County’s flood control maps, the entire area, not just a portion, of the Silvergate development would be underwater in the event of dam breach or severe flooding.
The most startling revelation that is shown in the FEMA and San Diego County Flood Control District (SDCFCD) maps, is the “Lake Hodges Inundation Map.” The two maps – one depicting the river valley, and the other showing the Silvergate RSF parcels – clearly shows what could happen in the event of a dam failure from a major earthquake or flood.
The flooding path spans the entire valley beginning from the narrow mouth of the San Dieguito River between Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks – just to the east of the Via de Santa Fe bridge – and broadens to inundate everything on both sides of Calzada del Bosque – east of Via de la Valle/S6, including 100% of the proposed Silvergate project, and down Via de la Valle all the way to Whispering Palms and on to the ocean.
Why I am so concerned:
- I have personally witnessed floods in the Valley that have inundated Whispering Palms and hindered access to Via de la Valle/S6.
- Recent record-breaking and unexpected storms have caused flooding that has wiped out areas in Tennessee and Valencia, Spain. And there continues to be decay of the bluffs of neighboring Encinitas, Del Mar, and San Clemente.
- I have delved into the situation at Lake Hodges Dam and the State of California has informed the City of San Diego that the dam is rated “UNSATISFACTORY” – the worst possible rating. The San Diego County Flood Control District has also stated that the “Downstream Hazard” related to Lake Hodges Dam, is “EXTREMELY HIGH” – also the worst possible rating.
- Finally, I have personally experienced six-plus magnitude earthquakes and the destruction they can cause. The Los Angeles/Northridge earthquake registered a 6.7 magnitude and caused freeway bridges and buildings to collapse. I can only imagine how a similar earthquake could devastate our already-weakened dam.
So why are the Board and Art Jury even considering approving a development that could potentially be doomed when the developer performs its due diligence with the County? We have reached the point where the destructive forces of catastrophic weather events are more than a maybe. The only question is when devastation will occur?
Dick Clotfelter is a longtime Covenant resident.