Upcoming EventsAlhambra Watershed CouncilMeetings are typically held on the first Tuesday of the month. However, the group confirms meetings on a month-to-month basis. Contact Mary Grim if you have questions. We are currently working on several implementation projects. Interested community members are always welcome at planning group meetings. Come and share your ideas!
Next meeting: FOAC next meeting; 7-9 pm, July 28, 2009-(No June Meeting) at Martinez City Hall Upstairs Conf. Room, 525 Henrietta Street, Martinez.
Alhambra Valley Creek Coalition Meeting
Strentzel Meadow Restoration Days For information contact Elaine Jackson. For directions to Strentzel Meadow Click Here. Planting days at Sky Ranch - Contact Muir Heritage Land Trust for information at (925) 228-5460. Martinez Flood Task Force meets the last Tuesday of the month, 6 – 7 pm at City Hall, 525 Henrietta St., Martinez. Contact City Engineer Tim Tucker for more info. at ttucker@cityofmartinez.org
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Resources
Alhambra Watershed Council Brochure
Analysis of 10 Channel Cross-Section in Alhambra Creek
Alhambra Creek Watershed Flooding and Downtown Revitalization
Information about native plants suitable for home gardens, and non-native invasive plants to avoid
Alhambra Creek Watershed Management Plan (April 2001)
Available on CD, hard copy or in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.
This 242-page document is the product of the three years of work by the Alhambra Creek Watershed Planning Group. The document has a wealth of information about Alhambra Creek and is illustrated with color maps and photos.
To use the CD you will need a PC with MS Word and a CD-ROM drive. We recommend that you copy the 140 MB Word document to your hard drive for easier access. To obtain a CD, please contact Lisa Anich (925) 672-6522 x 110.
Alhambra Creek Watershed Plan - Goals and Recommendations Table
The Alhambra Watershed Management Plan Appendices is a comprehensive companion to the Plan with natural resource information (water, geology, soils, and wildlife biology) as well as watershed enhancement guides and resources. Unfortunately, the Appendices are not available in electronic form. However, the Appendices can be borrowed from Contra Costa RCD.
About the Alhambra Creek Watershed
Alhambra Creek Watershed Map
(A new map published in 2003 is available. The map includes orth photos and shaded relief views of the watersehd, 50 and 100-year floodplains, restoration projects, trails and open space. It can be obtained from Mary Grim)
The Alhambra Creek Watershed covers approximately 16.5 square miles in north central Contra Costa County in Northern California and encompasses a portion of the City of Martinez. Currently, land in the upper Alhambra Creek Watershed is used for parks and recreation, grazing, tree farming, and semi-rural living. The main stem of Alhambra Creek flows through open space, wildlife habitat, residential neighborhoods and commercial area. Valley floors of the upper watershed are residential/agricultural and the lower sections are residential/commercial. The creek passes through downtown Martinez and then discharges into the Carquinez Straits through a tidal wetland. There are no reservoirs and no heavy industry in the watershed. An oil refinery is located just over the ridge to the east, and two railroads and a freeway cross the watershed.
Prior Events
- Alhambra Creek Cleanup - Saturday, April 29, 2006 at Martinez Adult Education Campus
- Sky Ranch Project Celebration -
Friday, December 9th, 2005
- Growing Native Plants for Creekbanks - Tues., October 4th, 2005
- Alhambra Creek and Coastal Clean-up - Saturday, September 17, 2005
- GPS Mapping of Alhambra Creek
- Creek Stewardship Workshop - September 19th, 2005
- The Alhambra Creek Restoration and Environmental Education Collaborative Project held a Groundbreaking Ceremony on October 22 at the Martinez Adult & Continuing Education Ctr. Representative George Miller, Senator Tom Torlakson, Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, Supervisor Gayle Uilkema and Mayor Rob Schroeder attended. For more information contact Beth Pardieck)
About the Alhambra Creek Watershed Plan
In November 1995, the Environmental Alliance, a local non-profit organization, asked the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District for assistance in preparing a watershed management plan for Alhambra Creek. The two organizations began to build community support and seek funding to support a planning group.
The City of Martinez had experienced flooding on a yearly basis and had been searching for solutions to this problem for many years. The floods of 1996 galvanized the people of Alhambra Creek watershed. The town of Martinez experienced heavy damage and the upper watershed was damaged by severe erosion, flooding and silting. The community realized that to solve these problems the entire watershed system needed to be evaluated.
The stakeholders in the watershed were identified and asked to participate through the Coordinated Resource Management and Planning (CRMP) process, forming the Alhambra Creek Watershed Planning Group. A diverse group of stakeholders contributed to the plan:
| Ranchers | Environmental Alliance |
| Farmers | Cattlemen’s Association |
| Residents | Muir Heritage Land Trust |
| East Bay Regional Park District | Alhambra Valley Improvement Association |
| National Park Service | Friends of Alhambra Creek |
| City of Martinez | Martinez Chamber of Commerce |
| Contra Costa County | Urban Creeks Council |
| Contra Costa Resource Conservation District | Contra Costa Flood Protection and Water Conservation District |
| Citizens Land Alliance | Environmentalists |
| Central Contra Costa Sanitary District | Contra Costa Farm Bureau |
| Teachers | Homeowners |
| Business Owners | Municipal workers |
From 1996 to April 2001, the planning group received grants from the California Department of Conservation, the Contra Costa Clean Water Program, and CALFED to fund the salary of the Watershed Coordinator and to pay publication and meeting costs. The watershed plan was published in April 2001. At that point the group changed its name to the Alhambra Watershed Action Group. The group is now working towards implementing the plan's goals.
Goals Presented in the Alhambra Creek Watershed Management Plan
- Reduce flood damage and conserve stormwater.
- Prevent excessive erosion and conserve soil resources.
- Protect and improve water quality.
- Reduce wildland fire damage.
- Encourage coordination of City and County General and Specific Plans with each other using the watershed as a planning unit.
- Support economically and environmentally sustainable land uses while protecting private property rights.
- Promote a sense of a watershed community.
- Maintain and restore fish and wildlife habitat and native plant communities consistent with environmentally and economically sustainable land use.
- Maintain and enhance the quality of life by providing increased opportunities to appreciate and enjoy watershed resources.