Emergency Lindo Channel Erosion Repairs at Manzanita Avenue

The City of Chico is undertaking emergency repairs at two severely eroding sites along Lindo Channel near the intersection of Manzanita Avenue and Howard Drive to prevent the imminent collapse of the adjacent roadway shoulder and bike/travel lanes, which are critical components of the city’s transportation infrastructure. Repair Area 1 measures approximately 13 feet deep, 121 feet long, and 30 feet wide, while Repair Area 2 is 135 feet long, 20 feet wide, and ranges from 4 to 10 feet in depth. Work will involve placing graduated cubic yard-sized boulders over erosion control fabric to form rock slope protection, backfilling and compacting the roadway shoulder in Repair Area 1, and manually positioning base boulders within the channel where necessary. Heavy equipment will operate from the top of the bank, with limited handwork conducted in the channel. If flow persists, water diversion or slow placement techniques will be used to minimize sediment disturbance, and a biological monitor will be present during all in-channel activities to ensure environmental compliance. Temporary lane closures on Manzanita Avenue will be implemented as needed to maintain public safety during construction. The project is being executed under emergency exemptions from CEQA Sections 21080(b)(3) and (b)(4), allowing for immediate action without a full environmental review, and has been supported by a No Effect Determination from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The City of Chico is the lead agency and responsible party, with no formal contractor identified, suggesting direct city execution. Key contacts include Tracy R. Bettencourt, Senior Planner, and Brendan Ottoboni, Director of Public Works – Engineering. The work site is located in Chico, California, with a zip code of 95926. The project was posted on January 12, 2026, with a filing deadline of January 9, 2026, indicating an urgent, expedited procurement process. While no contract value is specified, a $50 filing fee was paid to the Butte County Clerk’s Office, and all required environmental documentation, including the Notice of Exemption and Project Location Map, were submitted in physical form. No federal contract clauses, invoicing systems, award evaluation factors, or socioeconomic certifications are applicable, and no federal procurement standards such as Davis-Bacon or small business set-asides are triggered due to the local agency nature of the emergency response.