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Rheem Creek Watershed Assessment and Conceptual Restoration Plan

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Rheem Creek Watershed Assessment and Conceptual Restoration Plan RHEEM CREEK WATERSHED ASSESSMENT AND CONCEPTUAL RESTORATION PLAN PREPARED BY THE NATURAL HERITAGE INSTITUTE FUNDED BY THE CALFED WATERSHED PROGRAM MARCH 2007 RHEEM CREEK WATERSHED ASSESSMENT AND CONCEPTUAL RESTORATION PLAN We, the community members and stakeholders of the Rheem Creek Watershed declare that we: 1. Are dedicated to the preservation of open space and ecosystems (where appropriate), for recreational, educational, and non‐human uses throughout the Rheem Creek watershed. 2. Are committed to working on the restoration of natural services in our watershed, including Rheem Creek and its shoreline, because we recognize interconnectedness between the well being of our environment and the well being of our communities. 3. Are dedicated to involving and working alongside a diverse team of stewards, promoting teamwork and collaboration among community members and allies from all parts of the watershed, and of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. 4. Are devoted to the idea that the health of our watershed and the right to a clean environment are matters of environmental justice for our communities. The work and dedication of each and every one of us matters. ‐The Rheem Creek Declaration, August 5, 2006 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Authors Jessie Levine, Rich Walkling, and Carolina Balazs Natural Heritage Institute 100 Pine St., #1550 San Francisco, CA 94111 Conceptual Restoration Design Drawings Robert Birkeland at Restoration Design Group, LLC Maps Lynn Federico at GreenInfo Network Funded by CALFED Watershed Program Project Partners Community Health Initiative Parchester Village Neighborhood Council Urban Creeks Council West County Toxics Coalition CONTENTS Contents..............................................................................................................................................................................................................1 List of Figures and Tables...............................................................................................................................................................................2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................................................4 I. Setting and Background...............................................................................................................................................................................5 Regional Setting ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Sections of the Watershed................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Watershed Formation....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Climate ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Soils ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Topography ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Tidal Influence................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 II. The Watershed Lands ...............................................................................................................................................................................13 Watershed Land Uses..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 The Human Community................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17 The History of Human Settlement in the Watershed ................................................................................................................................................ 18 Watershed Ecology ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Ecological Changes in the Watershed.......................................................................................................................................................................... 26 Watershed Contamination............................................................................................................................................................................................. 27 III. The Stream Channel ................................................................................................................................................................................29 Structure and Conditions of the Channel.................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Historical Changes to the Channel Structure.............................................................................................................................................................. 30 Streamflow....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Water Quality .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38 Aquatic Life – Benthic Marco Invertebrates................................................................................................................................................................ 39 IV. Community Vision ..................................................................................................................................................................................41 First Community Event: Watershed Tour, January 2005 ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Second Community Event: Trip to China Camp State Park, June 2005.................................................................................................................. 42 Third Community Event: Finailizing Community Visions and the Watershed Declaration, August 2006 ...................................................... 43 V. Restoration Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................................................45 Restoration and Enhancement ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 45 1 Community Education and Involvement.................................................................................................................................................................... 52 Pollution Reduction........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 53 Final Thoughts................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 53 References ........................................................................................................................................................................................................54 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Rheem Creek Watershed Location Map............................................................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 2: Rheem Creek Watershed Political Map............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Figure 3: Watershed Series Map.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Figure 4: Sections of the Rheem Creek Watershed..........................................................................................................................................................
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