Sunol Valley
In Sunol Valley, Alameda Creek is isolated in a narrow
channel constrained by levees and high artificial banks as it flows through
gravel quarries, disconnected from its floodplain during all but the highest
flood flows. Changed groundwater levels, channel incision, bank erosion,
shallow flow depths, and warm water temperatures at low flows are all
concerns. Despite some remaining sycamore forest, riparian vegetation
is scarce. San Francisco plans to release cold water from Calaveras Reservoir
and to stabilize and restore riparian habitat in the Sunol Reach will
help improve conditions for trout.
Sunol Valley Restoration Plan
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is developing a Sunol Valley
restoration report to guide restoration, conservation and monitoring efforts
in the Sunol Valley, from Portal Road down to the confluence of Alameda
Creek with Arroyo de la Laguna. The report will include information about
stabilizing and restoring the Sunol Valley stream reach and the hydrology
and biology of the entire reach.
PG&E Pipeline Crossing
A cement armored PG&E gas pipeline crossing of Alameda Creek in the
Sunol Valley poses a barrier for fish migration at most water flows. PG&E
will provide fish passage at this site by removing the concrete mat from
the channel and burying the pipeline deeper under the creek. PG&E is
finishing design, coordinating with the SFPUC and beginning permitting.
The project will also evaluate stabilizing the stream bed upstream and downstream
of the pipeline crossing.
Mining Permit Lease Restoration
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Alameda Creek Alliance
are working with the gravel quarry lease operator of Surface Mining Permit
30, Oliver de Silva, to restore Alameda Creek and San Antonio Creek adjacent
to the SMP-30 gravel mining pit. A conservation
plan by Oliver de Silva will plant riparian vegetation along the stream
banks of both creeks adjacent to the mining pit to restore more natural
stream function and enhance habitat quality, and will install a cut-off
wall adjacent to the quarry to minimize percolation loss of Alameda Creek
flow into the mining pit. Oliver de Silva has also provided financial support
for the SFPUC Sunol Valley Restoration Plan and will contribute funding
for the PG&E fish passage project at the gas pipeline.
Small Scale Sinbad Creek Restoration Projects
The Alameda Creek Alliance will be working with landowners and various agencies
to conduct small-scale restoration projects on private lands along Sinbad
Creek, including fish passage, removing invasive plants, restoring native
vegetation, and erosion control. Check out our Sinbad
Creek Stewardship web page.
Alameda Creek Watershed Center
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is developing plans to construct
an Alameda
Creek Watershed Center in Sunol near the Sunol Water Temple. The current
plan is for multiple buildings clustered around an open courtyard designed
to complement the existing natural and built environment, with native landscaping.
Construction for the Center is expected to start in 2019 or 2020. The Center will
provide: a meeting room for public use; educational programs for school
children; opportunities to learn about and appreciate the Alameda Creek
Watershed, its natural resources and its role as part of the SFPUC water
supply system; connection with the history of the Sunol Valley; and activities
associated with the Sunol Ag Park and volunteer opportunities in the watershed
and at the Center.