The Cañada Gobernadora Multipurpose Basin project (“Gobernadora Basin”) is located within an unincorporated portion of southeastern Orange County, just south of the community of Coto de Caza. The basin captures and naturally treats urban runoff and storm flows, and uses the urban return flows to help meet irrigation demands in the nearby community.
The Gobernadora Basin project consists of a storm detention basin and a natural treatment system, a system to capture and divert flows to the wetlands, a pump station, and a pipeline to deliver flows to the Portola Reservoir, a recycled water reservoir located in Coto de Caza. The District is also connecting the Gobernadora transmission system to the Chiquita Water Reclamation Plant to deliver recycled water to the Portola Reservoir.
Located along the 8.5 mile Gobernadora Creek, a major tributary to San Juan Creek, the Gobernadora basins intercept a significant portion of the Gobernadora Creek flow for storm detention and treatment of urban runoff. This reduces downstream erosion and sedimentation of the Gobernadora Creek and improves water quality.