Pescadero Integrated Flood Reduction & Habitat Enhancement

Pescadero Creek Road floods regularly, even during minor rain events. Residents of the town and elected officials identify flooding as a priority resource management concern. The RCD led the effort to identify flood control projects that will 1) benefit fish and wildlife, 2) protect public health, safety, and property, and 3) advance planning and collaboration that resulted in the 2014 Solutions to Flooding on Pescadero Creek Road prepared by cbec ecoengineering.

The project would not have been so successful if it were not for the insights and expertise of a committed and diverse advisory group that included representatives from the Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council, California State Parks, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Mateo County Public Works, Trout Unlimited, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and at-large community members.

The 2014 Solutions to Flooding report recommended four areas of focus to comprehensively address integrated solutions to flooding and habitat enhancement: (1) control upland sediment sources, (2) restore floodplains for sediment to drop out and to reduce creek banks as a source of sediment, (3) improve flow under the road by dredging and/ or creation of a causeway, and (4) restore an open channel in the marsh. Each of these solutions has moved forward.  The RCD and partners are working with landowners to control sediment from gullies and from roads. The RCD, Peninsula Open Space Trust, and partners restored 100 acres of floodplain connected to Butano Creek in 2016.  San Mateo County dredged under the road in 2016 and launched a feasibility analysis for a causeway that was discontinued because of community sentiment. In March 2017, California State Parks and the RCD completed conceptual designs for an open channel in the marsh and partnered on a grant proposal to fund implementation, described below.

In March 2017, the RCD applied for a NOAA Coastal Resiliency Grant to restore the Butano Creek Channel through Pescadero Marsh in partnership with California State Parks. If implemented, the project will restore 8,000 feet of the historic Butano Creek channel, restoring access to over 10 miles of habitat for endangered salmon and threatened steelhead trout, and reduce the risk of flooding. The grant application materials are available at the links below.

RCD Contact: Kellyx Nelson

Proposed Butano Channel Restoration and Resiliency Project

March 16, 2017 Two-page Project Summary

March 14, 2017 Presentation at Pescadero Municipal Advisory Council

March 13, 2017 Grant Application

• Project Summary and Narrative
• Budget
• Appendices (photos, qualifications of staff, monitoring plan, subcontractor budgets, letters of support)
• Conceptual designs

March 13, 2017  Frequently Asked Questions II About the RCD Proposal to Dredge Butano Creek Channel

March 8, 2017 Frequently Asked Questions About the RCD Proposal to Dredge Butano Creek Channel

Solutions to Flooding on Pescadero Creek Road

Full Report: Final Report on Solutions to Flooding on Pescadero Creek Road

PowerPoint: Presentation of Final Meeting for Flooding Solutions Project