Novato Creek WatershedNovato Creek WatershedUpper Watershed Restoration OpportunitiesUpper Watershed Restoration Opportunities

HeadwatersHeadwaters

Valley FloorValley Floor

EstuaryEstuary

BayBay

Anatomy of a Anatomy of a WatershedWatershed

Riparian ForestRiparian Forest

Largest watershed in eastern MarinLargest watershed in eastern Marin

Major Novato Creek Major Novato Creek tributariestributaries• Novato Creek-Novato Creek-

• Bowman CanyonBowman Canyon

• Vineyard-WarnerVineyard-Warner

• WilsonWilson

• Arroyo AvichiArroyo Avichi

• Cheda CreekCheda Creek

• Arroyo San JoseArroyo San Jose

• Pacheco CreekPacheco Creek

Upper watershed land use is primarily agriculture and open space

Bowman Canyon

Valley floor land use is primarily residential with scattered park lands

Beneficial Uses Beneficial Uses

• Water QualityWater Quality

• Water SupplyWater Supply

• WetlandsWetlands

• Wildlife ProtectionWildlife Protection

• RecreationRecreation

• AgricultureAgriculture

Restoration underway along the Restoration underway along the Bay!Bay!

Hamilton and BMK 5 Hamilton and BMK 5 RestorationRestoration

• Scan pdfScan pdf

Total Project Conceptual Design

2600

Acres

Flood HistoryFlood History

• Significant flooding in 1955,1982, Significant flooding in 1955,1982, 1983 1986, 1995, 1998, 2005-061983 1986, 1995, 1998, 2005-06

Marin County Flood Control Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation and Water Conservation District District Zone 1Zone 1

Deer Island WetlandsDeer Island WetlandsAn integrated watershed management An integrated watershed management

projectproject

Novato Creek-late 1880’sNovato Creek-late 1880’s• Novato Creek has been Novato Creek has been

navigable since the mid 1870’s navigable since the mid 1870’s when 23 ton schooners made when 23 ton schooners made weekly trips to San Francisco weekly trips to San Francisco “California“California

• Tidal influence extended Tidal influence extended through and upstream of Nave through and upstream of Nave Shopping CenterShopping Center

• In 1880 the creek was dredged In 1880 the creek was dredged to keep the wharf opento keep the wharf open

““Solferno”Solferno”

Novato Creek-1895Novato Creek-1895

Today Dredging Conducted for Flood Today Dredging Conducted for Flood ControlControl

Tidal marshlands and sloughs were diked Tidal marshlands and sloughs were diked and drained for agriculture around the and drained for agriculture around the 1860's1860's

The Creek bed is down cuttingThe Creek bed is down cutting

Unstable Bank SlopesUnstable Bank Slopes

Geomorphic Channel Geomorphic Channel RestorationRestoration

Design ConsiderationsDesign Considerations• Maintain Active Channel WidthMaintain Active Channel Width

• Consider Both BanksConsider Both Banks

• Consider Upstream & Downstream EffectsConsider Upstream & Downstream Effects

• Retain Native VegetationRetain Native Vegetation

• Moderate to Gradual Bank SlopeModerate to Gradual Bank Slope

• Incorporate Native Vegetation into DesignIncorporate Native Vegetation into Design

• Invasive Species Have Poor Rooting Invasive Species Have Poor Rooting Strength-Replace with Native PlantsStrength-Replace with Native Plants

Anatomy of a Anatomy of a FloodplainFloodplain

Biotechnical Bank Biotechnical Bank StabilizationStabilizationIncorporating Native Plants into the design Incorporating Native Plants into the design processprocess

Wildlife ProtectionWildlife Protection

Creek WildlifeCreek Wildlife• Salt Marsh Harvest Salt Marsh Harvest

MouseMouse

• River OtterRiver Otter

• MuskratMuskrat

• Blue HeronBlue Heron

• Clapper RailClapper Rail

• Jack RabbitJack Rabbit

• SongbirdsSongbirds

Steelhead trout Steelhead trout

• Novato CreekNovato Creek

• Vineyard CreekVineyard Creek

• Bowman CanyonBowman Canyon

Steelhead DistributionSteelhead Distribution

CEMAR

CEMAR concludes “The Novato Watershed has not been sampled adequately…it appears to offer spawning and rearing habitat despite being the driest of the MC drainages”.

Best Potential for Steelhead Best Potential for Steelhead Habitat RestorationHabitat Restoration

• Novato CreekNovato Creek

• Vineyard CreekVineyard Creek

• Bowman Canyon Bowman Canyon CreekCreek

Steelhead young of the year-Vineyard Creek

Chinook salmonChinook salmon

• Novato Creek Novato Creek (tidewater areas)(tidewater areas)

• likely hatchery likely hatchery straysstrays

Novato Creek as a Water Novato Creek as a Water SupplySupply

• NMWD / Stafford NMWD / Stafford Lake ReservoirLake Reservoir

Friends Of Novato Creek Friends Of Novato Creek IntroductionIntroduction

Background, Challenges and Background, Challenges and OpportunitiesOpportunities

Friends of Novato Creek Friends of Novato Creek WatershedWatershed

• Founded as a 501c3 Non Profit Corporation in Founded as a 501c3 Non Profit Corporation in 2001 – Received ruling 20062001 – Received ruling 2006

• Members of the local communities, FNC Members of the local communities, FNC members are teachers, engineers, members are teachers, engineers, contractors, students, lawyers, biologists, contractors, students, lawyers, biologists, business owners .business owners .

• Monthly meetings, semi annual trainings and Monthly meetings, semi annual trainings and events, including storm drain painting , creek events, including storm drain painting , creek cleanups, invasive species removals, water cleanups, invasive species removals, water monitoring and creek walks.monitoring and creek walks.

FNC MissionFNC Mission

• Organized for the protection, Organized for the protection, restoration, and improvement of the restoration, and improvement of the Novato Creek Watershed.Novato Creek Watershed.

• To build community awareness To build community awareness through programs in partnership with through programs in partnership with the local communitythe local community

FNC Programs:FNC Programs:

• Public Outreach & Public Outreach & EducationEducationSignageSignage

Creek CleanupsCreek Cleanups

Citizen Water MonitoringCitizen Water Monitoring

Educational ProgramsEducational Programs

Research ProjectsResearch Projects

Riparian RestorationRiparian Restoration

SignageSignage

FNC Creek CleanupsFNC Creek Cleanups

Water Quality Water Quality • Historic Monitoring & Historic Monitoring &

DataData

• Citizen Water Quality Citizen Water Quality MonitoringMonitoring

• Concerns- pesticides, Concerns- pesticides, sediment, pathogenssediment, pathogens

Novato Creek Invasive Novato Creek Invasive weedsweeds

• Himalayan BlackberryHimalayan Blackberry

• Giant ReedGiant Reed

• Ivy (German, English, Cape)Ivy (German, English, Cape)

• Pepper weedPepper weed

Citizen Monitoring – Citizen Monitoring – Benthic MacroinvertebratesBenthic Macroinvertebrates

• FNC has trained 15 FNC has trained 15 volunteers / volunteers / Conducted 2 trainingsConducted 2 trainings

• 2006 - conducted 2006 - conducted monitoring of 5 sites monitoring of 5 sites including water including water quality, BMI collection, quality, BMI collection, and physical habitatand physical habitat

• Data pending Data pending

Data CollectionData Collection

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring

FNC and MCSTOPPP Sampling FNC and MCSTOPPP Sampling StationsStations

FNC and MCSTOPPP Sampling FNC and MCSTOPPP Sampling StationsStations

FNC-Next StepsFNC-Next Steps

• Increase efforts to build awareness of Increase efforts to build awareness of the watershed (literature / sign the watershed (literature / sign projectsprojects

• Presentations in local schools and Presentations in local schools and work with local youth organizationswork with local youth organizations

• Work with Marin County & City of Work with Marin County & City of Novato Novato

• Continue to develop water monitoring Continue to develop water monitoring program program

Novato Creek ChallengesNovato Creek Challenges

• FloodingFlooding• Water QualityWater Quality• Channel managementChannel management• Habitat, sensitive species, and fisheriesHabitat, sensitive species, and fisheries• Bank erosion and stream stabilityBank erosion and stream stability• Illegal camp sitesIllegal camp sites• GroundwaterGroundwater• Invasive weeds Invasive weeds • Invasive species-partnered w/ Romberg Tiburon Invasive species-partnered w/ Romberg Tiburon

Ctr to monitor Harris Mud CrabCtr to monitor Harris Mud Crab

Novato Watershed Planning Novato Watershed Planning DocumentsDocuments

• City of Novato General PlanCity of Novato General Plan• DraftDraft Marin Countywide Plan & Watershed Marin Countywide Plan & Watershed

Management PlanManagement Plan• NBWA Watershed Stewardship Plan and IRWMPNBWA Watershed Stewardship Plan and IRWMP• Marin County Flood Control and Water Marin County Flood Control and Water

Conservation District-Technical StudiesConservation District-Technical Studies• San Francisco Bay Watershed PlanSan Francisco Bay Watershed Plan• State of CA Basin Plan-TMDLs & 303d listingsState of CA Basin Plan-TMDLs & 303d listings• Phase II NPDES Storm Water Permit and Phase II NPDES Storm Water Permit and

MCSTOPPP stormwater management planMCSTOPPP stormwater management plan

For more information about Marin County Creeks and the Novato Watershed go to www.mcstoppp.org and www.krisweb.com