Friends of Alhambra Creek

Having a creek or waterway flowing along or through your property can be a blessing, but it comes with various potential challenges. According to Contra Costa Public Works, "If your property has a creek or a waterway flowing through it, it is your responsibility to maintain it. Typically private property extends to the center of the creek and not just to the fence line. These privately owned creeks are an important part of our county’s drainage system and are regulated by County ordinance, but they are not maintained by the County." To read more about your responsibility as a private creek owner from the county, visit this Private Creek Maintenance page.  

Here is a list of resources that may be helpful to you as a creekside property owner:

• California Urban Streams Partnership (CUSP) Streamside Management Program for Landowners (SMPL): This program allows CUSP, a nonprofit, to provide free advice about creek care, restoration and maintenance to Contra Costa Residents.
• Living With Alhambra Creek Flier
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Lake and Streambed Alteration Program: Fish and Game Code section 1602 requires any person, agency, public utility, or group to notify CDFW prior to beginning any activity that may divert or obstruct the natural flow of a water body, change the bed, channel, or bank of any water body, use material from any water body, or deposit/dispose of material into any water body. "Water body" includes streams and rivers.

Please note, any work to alter a creek (widening, filling, dredging, reinforcing banks, etc.) may require permits from the County, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Contact these regulatory agencies for more information.