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To:	Contra Costa County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors
From:	Julia R. Bueren, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Date:	February 14, 2017

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project Update and announcement of California State Department of Fish and Wildlife Grant Award. Project #7520-6B8285

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 02/14/2017

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Paul Detjens, (925) 313-2394
cc:	David Twa, CAO Betsy Burkhart, CCTV Mike Carlson, Deputy Chief Engineer Paul Detjens, Flood Control Catherine Windham, Flood Control

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: February 14, 2017
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ACCEPT the Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project Status Update, Martinez area.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The next phase of project development is expected to cost $1,075,000, half of which will be funded by Flood Control Zone 3B, and half is expected to be funded by a State of California Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposition 1 grant.

BACKGROUND:

The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (FC District) owns and operates both Walnut Creek and Pacheco Creek, which were channelized by the Corps of Engineers in the 1960s. Soon after construction, the most downstream, or “lowest” portions, quickly filled in with sediment. The FC District worked with the Corps for many years to develop a more sustainable and environmentally sensitive way to maintain these facilities. Lack of federal funding, however, slowed the Corps progress on developing a better design for what was now called “Lower Walnut Creek.”

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

On June 25, 2013, the Board APPROVED removal of the lowest four miles of these channels from the Corps system, and AUTHORIZED the chief engineer to work with congressional representatives to enact this separation from the Corps. With the support of Congressman Mike Thompson, work began to change federal law to make this vision a reality.

On June 10, 2014, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) was signed into law by President Obama and included language to remove the lowest four miles of Walnut and Pacheco Creeks from the Corps system and return them to local control. Creek restoration planning started soon thereafter.

The FC District had committed to a transparent and inclusive, community-focused planning process to envision the future of Lower Walnut Creek. FC District staff embarked on a stakeholder listening tour to better understand constraints and identify opportunities. Staff retained the technical expertise of Environmental Science Associates (ESA), which has a track record of similar, successful projects, such as the Alhambra Creek Restoration at the Martinez Shoreline and the South Bay Salt Ponds project. Staff formed a stakeholder advisory group, made up of diverse neighboring landowners (such as Tesoro refinery and Central Contra Costa Sanitary District) and nongovernmental organizations (such as the Walnut Creek Watershed Council and the John Muir Land Trust) to inform the planning process and provide focused feedback on design concepts.

Finally, FC District staff rolled out a robust public outreach campaign with well-attended Saturday site tours, a series of evening public workshops, and an active social media presence. Staff maintained a comprehensive project webpage at www.lowerwalnutcreek.org, and produced a well-received series of short web videos called Lower Walnut Creek Adventures, available on YouTube.

In conjunction with the FC District’s outreach efforts, ESA prepared a number of technical studies focused on hydrology, hydraulics, biology and geomorphology and developed a series of measures that were considered by the stakeholder advisory group and presented at the public workshops. These measures were then formed into design alternatives for further consideration. Currently, the proposed alternative is undergoing final modifications before another presentation to the stakeholder group and a final public workshop later this spring.

In essence, the Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project seeks to transform a single purpose Corps of Engineers’ channel into a sustainable creek system that works with, rather than against, natural processes. The FC District’s more sustainable vision has attracted interest from around the bay area and statewide. The Lower Walnut Creek Restoration project was one of three pilot projects selected by the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent “Flood Control 2.0” project and benefited from significant expertise from the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Environmental Protection Agency, the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, and others.

In recognition of the FC District’s innovative thinking and sustainable actions, the Lower Walnut Creek Restoration project was recently selected by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for an award of $537,000 of Proposition 1 funds to “further watershed restoration and protection projects of statewide importance.” This grant award will fund 50% of the next phase of project development, including completion of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation, securing regulatory permitting and completion of project plans and specifications. The FC District intends to bring to the Board formal acceptance of the CDFW Proposition 1grant once the state has finalized the grant agreement.

This next phase of the project (CEQA, permits, and design) is expected to take approximately two years and will result in a shovel-ready project that staff expects will be competitive for additional grant funds (such as from regional Measure AA) for future construction.

Staff recommends that the Board accept this Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project update.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

None.