Alameda Creeks Healthy Watersheds Project
This project addresses three sub-watersheds in the Alameda Creek watershed that are important habitat for native anadromous fish and have sediment impairments. Implementation activities include: establishing stream buffers; restoring channels and riparian areas; and conducting grazing management and/or rural road improvement to manage sediment.
Project Facts
Recipient: Alameda County Resource Conservation District
Funding: $181,823 (non-federal match = $60,607/leverage = $334,555)
Project Period: September 2012 – November 2017
Partners: NRCS, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, and 20-25 landowners and ranchers
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OUTPUTS (Activities, efforts, and/or work product during project period) |
OUTCOMES (Environmental results) |
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SHORT-TERM |
LONG-TERM |
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Sign up and develop conservation plans for 2-3 landowners each year towards the 5 landowner program goal Assess ~10 miles of streams for current condition and recovery potential Treat ~6 miles of stream and 3,840 acres of grazing and agricultural land with nonpoint source pollutant reduction BMPs Develop a measuring protocol to evaluate and document the following physical improvements to riparian corridors quantified by assessment score increases: Total Physical Habitat Score (results will vary by site); Riparian Vegetative Zone Width (e.g. “marginal” to “optimal” over 3 years); Human Influence (e.g. “marginal” to “suboptimal” over 3 years); Canopy cover (e.g.10% increase in density over 3 years, 70% at 10 yrs); Riparian Vegetation (e.g. lower canopy 0 to 10-40% over 3 yrs; 40-75% at 10 yrs); Bank Stability (e.g. “eroding” to “vulnerable” or “stable”) Hold 1 – 2 Creek cleanups, invasive weed control, or riparian vegetation planning events per year to improve local understanding of the value of creeks and riparian areas for water quality and watershed education Provide watershed-focused technical assistance on BMP effectiveness and long-term watershed management to public and private landowners Build landowner data collection capacity through demonstration workshops/field tours |
Improve benthic community health; decrease in maximum stream temperatures, nutrient, pathogen and fine sediment loading for ~6 stream miles Improve ~3,840 acres of grazing and agricultural land as a result of site-specific planning and nonpoint source BMP implementation |
Physical improvements to riparian corridors quantified by assessment score increases |
Full List of Project Summaries