San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Contra Costa County
Funding is sought to develop and deploy an education and assistance program for creekside landowners covering such topics as proper creek care, erosion prevention techniques, planting guide, pollution prevention, and suggestions for working as a community to address creekside issues. Assistance services include offerring general advice, referral to pre-approved private engineers, landscape architects and contractors, and permitting assistance.
The proposed program also will offer information and activities directed at people who do not own creekside parcels.These might include elementary and school programs, and other community education activities. The pupose of these programs is to remind community members that their activities can affect creek health, even if the creek cannot be seen.
Existing publications related to creek care in San Mateo County and Santa Clara County have not been substantially revised for many years. The nature of public inquiries to the Urban Creeks Council, STOPPP, SCVWD, and individual cities suggest that many residents are unaware of how to properly care for the creeks that pass by or through their properties and neighborhoods, and where public jurisdiction ends. In some cases, even those who are aware of the correct actions do not have the technical understanding or financial capacity to "do the right thing". This program proposes to update existing printed materials and to reach out directly to creekside property owners with a number of programs and services as outlined in the "Detailed Description" section. The target audience is very large.There are, for example, over 63,000 privately-owned streamside parcels in Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
Flood Protection, Creeks, Water Quality, Habitat Protection, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, Landowners
Ecosystem Restoration,
Environmental and habitat protection and improvement,
Flood management,
Recreation and public access,
Water quality protection and improvement,
Wetlands enhancement and creation
