Nearly every soaking wet winter, Llagas Creek around Morgan Hill has flooded. Its rising, muddy waters poured over the banks in 2017 and in 2009, and many times before that over generations, damaging downtown businesses, homes and farm fields. The federal government authorized a flood control project to fix it in 1954, when Dwight Eisenhower was president. Now finally, construction to bring the area up to modern flood standards is nearing the final stages. Officials at the Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose, are embarking on the third and final phase this month of a $241 million project to improve flood protection along 13 miles of Llagas Creek. The project recently received $80 million in federal funding, enough to finish the work.

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