Flood Control - Special Drainage Areas

Special Drainage Area Brief History

Prior to the establishment of the SDA’s, the County was divided into seven zones. Between 1975 and 1976, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors acting as the Board of Directors for the San Diego County Flood Control District (FCD) adopted comprehensive plans for flood control and drainage for many of the zones in the District. The comprehensive plans established the need for new facilities within these zones. Drainage maintenance fees were collected and distributed in each zone. In 1980, the Board of Supervisors adopted the Drainage Fee Ordinance and, in the early 1990’s, the drainage fee rates for 10 Special Drainage Areas (SDA’s). A Special Drainage Area is defined as a local or neighborhood land area, where water that flows over the land due to rain, comes together to a single location, such as, into a storm drain pipe. The County currently collects drainage fees for new and re-development based on the total square footage of the proposed structure. The fees that are collected are used to upgrade or construct new drainage facilities. The current drainage development fee and SDA boundaries were adopted by the Board of Directors of the San Diego County FCD on May 23, 1989.

The specific SDA areas are listed below:

  • SDA 1 – Spring Valley / Casa de Oro
  • SDA 2 – Valle de Oro
  • SDA 3 – Sweetwater
  • SDA 4 – Jamul
  • SDA 5 – Bostonia
  • SDA 6 – Lakeside
  • SDA 7 – Alpine
  • SDA 8 – Ramona
  • SDA 9 – San Dieguito
  • SDA 10 – North County Metro

Map of SDA (.pdf)

ORDINANCES:
 
Ordinance 6 - SDA Spring Valley / Casa de Oro (.pdf)
Ordinance 7 - SDA Fees for Building Permits (.pdf)
Ordinance 8 - SDA Amendment to Ordinance 6 (.pdf)
Ordinance 9 - SDA Amendment to Ordinance 7 (.pdf) 

Back to Main Flood Control Home Page

If you have questions or would like additional information, 
call the County Stormwater hotline at 1(888) 846-0800
or e-mail us at watersheds@sdcounty.ca.gov

Report a Stormwater Violation On-Line

If you see a County storm drainage system in need of maintenance, contact the County Department of Public Works Field Operations staff at (619) 443-1260 weekdays or contact the Stormwater Hotline at 1(888) 846-0800.  For after-hours emergencies contact (858) 565-5262. 

COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO
Department of Public Works
Flood Control
 
5510 Overland Ave., Suite 410, MS O326
San Diego,  CA  92123,  USA
(858) 495-5318           Fax: (858) 495-5263