Chimes Creek Watershed Rehabilitation

Abstract:

Restoration and rehabilitation of the Chimes Creek watershed:  Chimes Creek is a natural urban creek situated below Interstate 580 in Central East Oakland.  The creek originates in the hills above I-580 and is culverted for most of its run with the exception of a 2,500 stretch through the Millsmont neighborhood.  Additional runoff created by the construction of new housing along the Leona ridgetop, combined with the El Niño storms of 1981-1982, caused significant erosion  along Chimes Creek.  In the early 1990's, the City of Oakland partnered with the Alameda County Flood Control District to mitigate the erosion in a joint project that covered the downstream half of Chimes Creek below Nairobi Place.  This project addresses the upstream half of Chimes Creek, above Nairobi Place, where recent grading and construction activities at the Leona Quarry housing development has accelerated the ongoing erosion.  This ongoing erosion has greatly impacted creekside residents.  In addtion, these severe erosion impacts have contributed bed and bank materials combined with toxins and other pollutants from upstream development to the downstream watershed.  The downstream watershed is made up of low-income and communities of color, with the creek running through a public housing complex. 

Purpose: The increase in volume, frequency and duration of stormwater flowing through Chimes Creek has caused an acute incision and erosion of the creek banks. Public sanitary sewers are located along the banks of the creek and the pipe is exposed at several locations. Over the past 16 to 18 years, there have been repeated sewage spills into the creek from disengaged pipes and overflowing manholes. The new development in the Quarry will contribute wastewater from more than 400 households' into these sewer pipes. These overflows have impacted nearby neighboorhoods as well as the downstream watershed. A permanent stabilization effort comparable to the work previously executed along part of this reach is required in order to protect the watershed from future spills and contamination.

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