Friends of Alhambra Creek member, Jeff Sherwin, is leading a project to paint a mural featuring native flora and fauna on the Highway 4 underpass at Alhambra Way in Martinez. The location of the mural can be found at the following coordinates: 37.991749, -122.126641. Tim Hon of Illuminaries will design and paint (with volunteer help) a vibrant and educational mural. The mural project has been approved by Martinez City Council and CalTrans (the property owner). The only thing currently standing between the blank wall coming to life is funding.
Please consider donating to celebrate Martinez and help this mural come to life. This project will keep Martinez a beautiful place to live, work and play. Your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. If you donate $1,000 or more, you or your business/organization can have your name memorialized on the mural and receive other acknowledgements.
E-mail Jeff at budoboy@sbcglobal.net with any questions or suggestions.
Established in 1991, Friends of Alhambra Creek is a volunteer group that brings people and Alhambra Creek together to protect the health of the creek and its surrounding community. They have collaborated with other people and agencies to participate in, and carry out, a wide range of projects.
The group meets at 6pm on the third Tuesday of each month. These meetings are currently held on Zoom. Meeting agendas are uploaded to the Friends of Alhambra Creek Facebook Page and a Google Drive folder a few days prior to each meeting. To view the agendas, please click this Google Drive Folder Link.
If you have any questions, or would like to join a meeting, please contact the Friends of Alhambra Creek at foac@ccrcd.org.
VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Your place to find the latest information about the Friends' projects and events. Photos from these projects and events have been added to the Photo Gallery at the bottom of this page.
Visit the gardens created by volunteers from Friends of Alhambra Creek and the California Native Plant Society to get ideas for your very own California native garden at home!
The goal of the Alhambra Native Plant Trail is not only to educate residents about our native flora, but also to create a wildlife corridor through Martinez for birds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
Learn more about
Informational Materials:
The Friends of Alhambra Creek (FoAC) have supported and participated in many creek cleanups within and surrounding Martinez. If you are interested in completing a creek cleanup with the help of the FoAC, please fill out the form by clicking the below button.
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:
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.
These hike flyers were created by FoAC member, Doug Burgess
The Alhambra Watershed Council (AWC) is a stakeholder group that was established in 1997 to produce the Alhambra Creek Watershed Management Plan (2001). The group’s mission is to protect and enhance the health of the Alhambra Creek Watershed by educating the public about the watershed, providing a forum for new ideas and projects, and acting as a community resource.
By representing diverse stakeholder interests and promoting healthy natural systems, the AWC aims to support the health and vitality of the entire watershed community. Contra Costa County, Friends of Alhambra Creek, National Park Service, New Leaf Collaborative, Mt. View Sanitary District, and residents are among the active participants. Past projects include the Alhambra Creek Watershed Map and Festival and the Strentzel Lane Flood Reduction Project. The AWC receives coordinator support from the CCRCD.
Meetings are currently held on the first Tuesday of every month (excluding August) at 6:30pm, on Zoom. Interested community members are welcome to attend AWC meetings. Come and share your ideas!
AWC Meeting dates for 2023 are listed below. If you would like to join a meeting and are not yet on the AWC email list, please contact Victoria Woolfolk for the meeting access info.
January3, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 4, September 5, October 3,November 7, December 5
The Mt. View Sanitary District (MVSD) provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services for the northeasterly portion of the City of Martinez and adjacent unincorporated lands to the northeast. Their wetlands and pond restoration projects are one of a kind and provide both habitat and wastewater filtration. Tours of their beautiful site are available to the public.
The New Leaf Collaborative is a 501c3 non-profit corporation based out of Martinez, CA. They support learners in the following ways:
Since 1916, the National Park Service has been entrusted with the care of our national parks. With the help of volunteers and partners, we safeguard these special places and share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. NPS is the local steward of the John Muir Historical Site and Strentzel Meadow.
The Friends of Alhambra Creek supporting events and projects in regards to the health of the creek.
The Mission of the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District is to Facilitate Conservation and Stewardship of the Natural Resources in Contra Costa County.