East Bay Watershed Master Plan 2016 EAST BAY WATERSHED MASTER PLAN UPDATE East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors Frank Mellon President William B. Patterson Vice President John A. Coleman Andy Katz Doug Linney Lesa R. McIntosh Marguerite Young District Personnel Alexander R. Coate General Manager Richard G. Sykes Director of Water and Natural Resources Douglas I. Wallace Environmental Affairs Officer, Master Plan Update Project Manager Scott D. Hill Manager of Watershed and Recreation Jose D. Setka Manager of Fisheries and Wildlife Rick Leong Principal Management Analyst Rachel R. Jones Office of General Counsel East Bay Watershed Master Plan Prepared by: East Bay Municipal Utility District 375 - 11th Street Oakland, CA 94607 510-287-1370 Contact: Douglas I. Wallace February 29, 1996 Revised March 15, 1999 Updated Month, 2016 This document should be cited as: East Bay Municipal Utility District. 1996. East Bay Watershed Master Plan. February 29, 1996. Revised March 15, 1999. Updated [July] 2016. With technical assistance from Jones & Stokes Associates; Brady and Associates; Dillingham Associates; REM & Associates; Merritt Smith Consulting; Reza Ghezelbash, GIS Consultant; and Montgomery Watson. (JSA 94-320.) Oakland, CA. Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction 1 Purpose of the East Bay Watershed Master Plan . .1 Plan Terminology . .3 Board of Directors’ Policy Direction. 4 History of East Bay Watershed Land Use Planning. 5 Scope of the East Bay Watershed Master Plan . .5 Public Involvement. 5 Organization and Use of the Plan. 6 Section 2 District Lands and Resources 9 Introduction . .9 Overview of District Lands . .9 General Description of Watershed Lands. 11 District-Owned Nonreservoir Watershed Lands . 13 Description of Watershed Resources. 14 Description of Watershed Planning Zones . 29 Section 3 General Management Direction 45 Introduction . 45 Natural Resources Management Programs . 46 Water Quality 46 Biodiversity 50 Forestry 53 Livestock Grazing 55 Fire and Fuels 57 Community Use Management Programs. 64 Developed Recreation and Trails 64 Environmental Education 70 Cultural Resources 72 Visual Resources 73 Property Management Programs . 75 Land Ownership 75 Entitlements 77 Section 4 Watershed Management Area Direction 79 Introduction . 79 San Pablo Reservoir Watershed . 81 Briones Watershed. 84 Upper San Leandro Reservoir Watershed. 86 Chabot Reservoir Watershed. 88 Lafayette Reservoir Watershed. 90 Pinole Watershed. 92 i v Table of Contents Section 5 Management Direction for Interjurisdictional Coordination 95 Introduction . 95 Major Management Issues. 98 Summary of Land Use Conditions on Adjacent Lands. 98 General Management Direction . 105 Area-Specific Management Direction. 106 Section 6 Citations 109 viii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADA Americans with Disabilities Act AUMs animal unit-months BHAPA Briones Hills Agricultural Preservation Area BMP best management practice Board East Bay Municipal Utility District Board of Directors CAC Community Advisory Committee Caltrans California Department of Transportation CCCFPD Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Cal Fire California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife DBPs disinfection byproducts District East Bay Municipal Utility District EBRPD East Bay Regional Park District EBWMP East Bay Watershed Master Plan EIR environmental impact report FMU fire management unit GIS geographic information system HCP Habitat Conservation Plan IPM integrated pest management ITP Incidental Take Permit PAHs polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls TAC Trails Adjunct Committee THMs trihalomethanes USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service voCs volatile organic compounds iiivii viii Section 1 Introduction Purpose of the East Bay Watershed Master Plan The East Bay Municipal Utility District (District) owns and Because these lands have been largely protected from manages approximately 28,000 acres of land and water development and human disturbance, they support surface in the East Bay area (Figure 1-1). These lands important and high-quality habitats and resources for a surround five reservoirs (Briones, San Pablo, Upper San wide variety of plant and animal species. Leandro, Chabot, and Lafayette) and one basin area that does not contain a reservoir (Pinole Valley). The District’s The District has determined that managing lands and reservoirs store high-quality drinking water and emergency reservoirs to protect water quality and important, high-quality water supplies for approximately 1.4 million water users in biological resources can best be achieved by promoting Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Protecting water biological diversity (biodiversity). Biodiversity is defined quality is primary in importance to the District. Additionally, here as “the variety and variability among living organisms the District is committed to preserving and protecting the and the ecological complexes in which they occur” (Office natural resources that exist on its lands and its reservoirs. of Technology Assessment 1987). Focus of the East Bay Watershed Master Plan Natural Resource Management Programs Water Quality Biodiversity Forestry Livestock Grazing Fire & Fuels Community Use Management Programs Developed Environmental Cultural Visual Recreation Education Resources Resources & Trails Assets Management Programs Land Entitlements Ownership Section 1 Introduction 1 4 Pinole 80 Martinez 4 Hercules 242 680 El Sobrante b Richmond San Pablo Briones Res. Res. 680 Lafayette Walnut Creek 24 Lafayette Res. 680 Calde cot t Orinda 80 Corridor Berkeley 24 Moraga Calde cot t Tunnel 13 Oakland 580 0 10,000 20,000 Feet LEGEND District-Owned Property 580 Watershed Basin Boundaries Prepared by Jones & Stokes Associates, Inc. San Leandro Castro Valley Figure 1-1 | East Bay Municipal Utility District property boundary Section 1 Introduction 2 The purpose of the East Bay Watershed Master Plan The EBWMP provides clear guidance regarding the (EBWMP) is to provide long-term management direction management direction on East Bay watershed lands. It is for District-owned lands and reservoirs that will ensure the important to note that the EBWMP is not intended to protection of the District’s water resources and preserve require the implementation of any specific management environmental resources on District-owned lands. The actions and that approval of the plan by the Board of plan also identifies public uses considered compatible or Directors (Board) does not imply or create a future potentially compatible with the primary water quality and commitment to fund any programs or program elements. biodiversity goals. Implementation of such actions will be determined by the Board through the routine budgeting process. If funding is approved for a specific program or program element, the EBWMP will provide the direction on how that program or program element will be implemented. Plan Terminology For purposes of this plan, the term “watershed” is typically References to “non-District watershed lands” are to those used to describe District-owned lands that are the subject of lands that are tributary to District reservoirs and lands but the EBWMP. These areas include the: that are not owned by the District. When this document addresses the entire land area that is tributary to a District • San Pablo Reservoir watershed, reservoir, including both District-owned and non-District- owned lands, the terms “hydrologic watershed” and “basin” • Briones Reservoir watershed, are used. • Pinole watershed,* • Lafayette Reservoir watershed, • Upper San Leandro Reservoir watershed, and • Chabot Reservoir watershed. *District-owned nonreservoir watershed (see page 13 for further description) Section 1 Introduction 3 Board of Directors’ Policy Direction The mission statement of the District represents general management guidance regarding all lands and reservoirs owned by the District. The guiding principles, developed from the mission statement, have provided direction for the master planning process. Mission Statement In 1992, the Board adopted the following District mission statement for management of lands and resources: To manage the natural resouces Implicit in the District’s mission statement is the with which the District is entrusted, commitment to exercise responsible financial management, to provide high-quality water and ensure fair rates and charges, provide responsive customer service, and promote environmental responsibility. wastewater services for the people of the The EBWMP reflects the District’s mission by using it as East Bay, and to preserve and protect the the basis for a plan that protects reservoir water quality for environment for future generations. future generations through prudent management of District watershed natural resources. Guiding Principles In 1993, the District’s Board provided seven guiding principles for the EBWMP. These principles guided an integrated planning process that resulted in the adoption of the first EBWMP in 1996. In adopting the update to this plan in 2016, the Board reaffirmed the guiding principles as follows: 1. Protect water quality through sensitive natural resource and recreation management. 2. Ensure protection of the natural, cultural, and historical resources of the watershed on a long- term basis. 3. Respect natural resources; sustain and restore populations of native plants and animals and their environments. 4. Provide for appropriate