Novato Creek Watershed Upper Watershed Restoration Opportunities

Headwaters Valley Floor Estuary Bay Anatomy of a Watershed Riparian Forest

Largest watershed in eastern Marin

Major Novato Creek tributaries Novato Creek- Novato Creek- Bowman Canyon Bowman Canyon Vineyard-Warner Vineyard-Warner Wilson Wilson Arroyo Avichi Arroyo Avichi Cheda Creek Cheda Creek Arroyo San Jose Arroyo San Jose Pacheco Creek Pacheco 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 Water Quality Water Quality Water Supply Water Supply Wetlands Wetlands Wildlife Protection Wildlife Protection Recreation Recreation Agriculture Agriculture

Restoration underway along the Bay!

Hamilton and BMK 5 Restoration Scan pdf Scan pdf Total Project Conceptual Design 2600 Acres

Flood History Significant flooding in 1955,1982, , 1995, 1998, Significant flooding in 1955,1982, , 1995, 1998,

Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zone 1

Deer Island Wetlands An integrated watershed management project

Novato Creek-late 1880’s Novato Creek has been navigable since the mid 1870’s when 23 ton schooners made weekly trips to San Francisco “California Novato Creek has been navigable since the mid 1870’s when 23 ton schooners made weekly trips to San Francisco “California Tidal influence extended through and upstream of Nave Shopping Center Tidal influence extended through and upstream of Nave Shopping Center In 1880 the creek was dredged to keep the wharf open In 1880 the creek was dredged to keep the wharf open “Solferno”

Novato Creek-1895

Today Dredging Conducted for Flood Control

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

The Creek bed is down cutting

Unstable Bank Slopes

Geomorphic Channel Restoration Design Considerations Maintain Active Channel Width Maintain Active Channel Width Consider Both Banks Consider Both Banks Consider Upstream & Downstream Effects Consider Upstream & Downstream Effects Retain Native Vegetation Retain Native Vegetation Moderate to Gradual Bank Slope Moderate to Gradual Bank Slope Incorporate Native Vegetation into Design Incorporate Native Vegetation into Design Invasive Species Have Poor Rooting Strength- Replace with Native Plants Invasive Species Have Poor Rooting Strength- Replace with Native Plants

Anatomy of a Floodplain Anatomy of a Floodplain

Biotechnical Bank Stabilization Incorporating Native Plants into the design process

Wildlife Protection

Creek Wildlife Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse River Otter River Otter Muskrat Muskrat Blue Heron Blue Heron Clapper Rail Clapper Rail Jack Rabbit Jack Rabbit Songbirds Songbirds

Steelhead trout Novato Creek Novato Creek Vineyard Creek Vineyard Creek Bowman Canyon Bowman Canyon

Steelhead 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 Habitat Restoration Novato Creek Novato Creek Vineyard Creek Vineyard Creek Bowman Canyon Creek Bowman Canyon Creek Steelhead young of the year-Vineyard Creek

Chinook salmon Novato Creek (tidewater areas) Novato Creek (tidewater areas) likely hatchery strays likely hatchery strays

Novato Creek as a Water Supply NMWD / Stafford Lake Reservoir NMWD / Stafford Lake Reservoir

Friends Of Novato Creek Introduction Friends Of Novato Creek Introduction Background, Challenges and Opportunities

Friends of Novato Creek Watershed Founded as a 501c3 Non Profit Corporation in 2001 – Received ruling 2006 Founded as a 501c3 Non Profit Corporation in 2001 – Received ruling 2006 Members of the local communities, FNC members are teachers, engineers, contractors, students, lawyers, biologists, business owners. Members of the local communities, FNC members are teachers, engineers, contractors, students, lawyers, biologists, business owners. Monthly meetings, semi annual trainings and events, including storm drain painting, creek cleanups, invasive species removals, water monitoring and creek walks. Monthly meetings, semi annual trainings and events, including storm drain painting, creek cleanups, invasive species removals, water monitoring and creek walks.

FNC Mission Organized for the protection, restoration, and improvement of the Novato Creek Watershed. Organized for the protection, restoration, and improvement of the Novato Creek Watershed. To build community awareness through programs in partnership with the local community To build community awareness through programs in partnership with the local community

FNC Programs: Public Outreach & Education Public Outreach & EducationSignage Creek Cleanups Citizen Water Monitoring Educational Programs Research Projects Riparian Restoration

Signage

FNC Creek Cleanups

Water Quality Historic Monitoring & Data Historic Monitoring & Data Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Concerns- pesticides, sediment, pathogens Concerns- pesticides, sediment, pathogens

Novato Creek Invasive weeds Himalayan Blackberry Himalayan Blackberry Giant Reed Giant Reed Ivy (German, English, Cape) Ivy (German, English, Cape) Pepper weed Pepper weed

Citizen Monitoring – Benthic Macroinvertebrates FNC has trained 15 volunteers / Conducted 2 trainings FNC has trained 15 volunteers / Conducted 2 trainings conducted monitoring of 5 sites including water quality, BMI collection, and physical habitat conducted monitoring of 5 sites including water quality, BMI collection, and physical habitat Data pending Data pending

Data Collection Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring

FNC and MCSTOPPP Sampling Stations

FNC-Next Steps Increase efforts to build awareness of the watershed (literature / sign projects Increase efforts to build awareness of the watershed (literature / sign projects Presentations in local schools and work with local youth organizations Presentations in local schools and work with local youth organizations Work with Marin County & City of Novato Work with Marin County & City of Novato Continue to develop water monitoring program Continue to develop water monitoring program

Novato Creek Challenges Flooding Flooding Water Quality Water Quality Channel management Channel management Habitat, sensitive species, and fisheries Habitat, sensitive species, and fisheries Bank erosion and stream stability Bank erosion and stream stability Illegal camp sites Illegal camp sites Groundwater Groundwater Invasive weeds Invasive weeds Invasive species-partnered w/ Romberg Tiburon Ctr to monitor Harris Mud Crab Invasive species-partnered w/ Romberg Tiburon Ctr to monitor Harris Mud Crab

Novato Watershed Planning Documents City of Novato General Plan City of Novato General Plan Draft Marin Countywide Plan & Watershed Management Plan Draft Marin Countywide Plan & Watershed Management Plan NBWA Watershed Stewardship Plan and IRWMP NBWA Watershed Stewardship Plan and IRWMP Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District-Technical Studies Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District-Technical Studies San Francisco Bay Watershed Plan San Francisco Bay Watershed Plan State of CA Basin Plan-TMDLs & 303d listings State of CA Basin Plan-TMDLs & 303d listings Phase II NPDES Storm Water Permit and MCSTOPPP stormwater management plan Phase II NPDES Storm Water Permit and MCSTOPPP stormwater management plan

For more information about Marin County Creeks and the Novato Watershed go to and