COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Environmental Services Agency

 

DATE:

July 6, 2006

BOARD MEETING DATE:

August 1, 2006

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Marcia Raines, Director of Environmental Services Agency

SUBJECT:

Resolution Approving Acceptance of a Grant Award in the Amount of $275,024 from the California Department of Fish and Game Fishery Restoration Grants Program for the Barrier Removal Project at Memorial County Park and Authorizing the Director of Parks and Recreation as Agent of the County to Execute and Submit All Grant Documents

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution approving acceptance of a grant award in the amount of $275,024 from the California Department of Fish and Game Fishery Restoration Grants Program for the Barrier Removal Project at Memorial County Park and authorizing the Director of Parks and Recreation as agent of the County to execute and submit all grant documents.

 

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Preserve and provide people access to our natural environment.

Goals 14 and 15: Important natural resources are preserved and enhanced through environmental stewardship and residents have nearby access to green space, such as parks and recreational opportunity.

 

Acceptance of this grant award contributes to the commitment and goals by providing funding to remove a concrete barrier in the middle reaches of Pescadero Creek to enhance and restore Threatened Steelhead and Endangered Coho habitat in the Pescadero Creek and modify Sequoia Flat Crossing to maintain access to the public campground.

 

BACKGROUND:

The San Mateo County Parks and Recreation Foundation (Foundation), on behalf of the County, applied for funding from California Department of Fish and Game Fishery Restoration Grants Program to support the County’s efforts to enhance and restore Threatened Steelhead and Endangered Coho habitat in the middle reaches of Pescadero Creek. The project goals are to improve sediment transport and reduce migration obstacles for adult and juvenile salmon and steelhead within Memorial County Park. These will be accomplished through the removal of the flashboard dam structure used for in-stream water diversion and modification of the Sequoia Flat Crossing.

 

Parks staff, in designing the project, also needed to maintain the water source as well as access for the existing, popular public campground. Water supply and the Park’s water rights of 30 gallons per minute will be maintained by development of a drinking water well within Park boundaries. Access will be maintained by replacing the in-stream concrete crossing with an arched culvert.

 

DISCUSSION:

This project complements previous projects to improve fish habitat that included the removal of three dam structures, road and trail repairs to reduce erosion, and bathroom upgrades to conserve water. Completion of this project will result in the removal or modification of all human-built structures in the creek in the Park identified by Fish and Game as a priority for removal. Expected results from this project include restoring a more natural sediment transport, opening up additional spawning gravel and encouraging greater rearing habitat, and removal of barriers affecting both juvenile and adult salmon migration.

 

FISCAL IMPACT:

Previous grants from the Foundation funded studies and designs necessary for the project. A Coastal Conservancy grant funded activities to provide a well for drinking water. This grant funds the next phase of the project. Additional grant funding is being sought to complete the remaining phases of the project. There is no Net County Cost impact.