Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Volunteers rebuild and replant a bank along Cordonices Creek in Berkeley. Here
they have installed, among other things, a natural coir fiber erosion-control blanket
and a brush mattress made of willow branches. (Courtesy of the Urban Creeks
Council)
paddled into town in late 2006. The big rodents built a dam and lodge
right next to the creek's downtown pedestrian walkway. Their arrival
caused a sensation, attracting wildlife tourists from miles around. Subse-
quent generations of beavers have made the most of the renovated habitat,
and have been joined by River Otters, muskrats, turtles, a tule perch, and
even mink, a species of weasel rarely seen in urban areas.
Ann Riley, now with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality
Board, calls the removal of creek constrictions such as the Martinez rail-
road trestle the most important urban stream restoration remedy of the
future. “These undersized crossings back flood waters into many commu-
nities. Letting the stream flow freely under trestles and roads avoids flood-
ing and allows for the restoration of habitat,” Riley says.
Like the railroad bridge in Martinez, many of the Bay Area's bridges,
culverts, sewers, and overpasses will reach the end of their functional life
spans within the next few decades. This presents planners with a golden
opportunity: the chance to help streams function for both people and
wildlife. “We haven't really tried to design our cities and infrastructure to
support natural processes. We are only just making our first attempts.
Just think what we could do if we tried,” Robin Grossinger says. “We've
worked to protect the hills and the bay. The streams are a critical piece
connecting them.”
