This polygon shapefile depicts landslide hazard zones in the unincorporated areas of County of Santa Clara, California. Landslides are natural geologic phenomena that range from slow moving, deep-seated slumps to rapid, shallow debris flows. Landslide risk can be exacerbated by development. Grading for roads, home construction and landscaping can decrease hillside stability by adding weight to the top of a slope, destabilizing the bottom of a slope, and/or increasing water content of the underlying materials. Slope steepness and underlying soils are the most important factors affecting the landslide hazard. However, surface and subsurface drainage patterns also affect the landslide hazard, and vegetation removal can increase the likelihood of a landslide. If property is located in a Zone of Required Investigation, where earthquake-induced landslides could occur during a large earthquake, the local building department must require geologic studies before projects are issued permits. This layer is part of a collection of GIS data for Santa Clara County, California. The Santa Clara County Planning Office is part of the Department of Planning and Development. Their primary function is to plan and regulate land use and development within the unincorporated portions of Santa Clara County. Other responsibilities include policy analysis, GIS services, research and technical assistance relating to land use, housing, environmental protection, historic preservation and demographics. The Geographic Information Services Department has taken on all those activities related to GIS data and GIS process and procedures that cross organizational boundaries. Santa Clara County encompasses 15 cities and approximately 1.7 million people. This coverage can be used for basic applications such as viewing, querying, and map output production, or to provide a basemap to support graphical overlays and analyses of geospatial data. There are no Use Constraints. The user must be familiar with GIS software and web maps to use these data. No support on the use of software or webmaps is provided. All information provided herein by the Santa Clara County Department of Planning and Development (SCCDPD) is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal contract between the SCCDPD and any person or entity. Information on the website is subject to change without prior notice. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, the SCCDPD makes no guarantees of any kind.The SCCDPD, its employees, officers, content providers, affiliates or other representatives are not liable for damages of any kind (including, without limitation, lost profits, direct, indirect, compensatory, consequential, exemplary, special, incidental, or punitive damages) arising out of your useof, your inability to use, or the performance of this website or the content whether or not we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.