Friends of Pinole Creek Watershed

Steelhead, an ocean-going trout, may be able to return to historic spawning grounds in the upper Pinole Creek Watershed and increase their numbers in coming years.  Steps are being taken to modify a fish barrier on Pinole Creek identified several years ago by fisheries biologists.  This 320 foot long double-box culvert under Highway I-80 (photo to right) limits the water depth and impacts the flow rate of Pinole Creek to a point where steelhead can’t swim through it most years.   

In 2004, the Pinole Creek Watershed Vision Plan listed restoration of the Chelsea Wetlands as a possible opportunity. The City of Hercules has applied for a
California River Parkways grant to restore five acres of this degraded seasonal wetlands to a functioning tidal wetlands.

These wetlands are situated near the mouth of Pinole Creek between the Union Pacific Railroad and the Chelsea By the Sea development. The lead agency for this project is the City of Hercules. This project is still in the planning stages, but a vision is taking shape.

Some of the goals of the restoration project include:

· Restore transition area between flood plain and Pinole Creek
· Restore the wetland aquatic and wetland transitional habitat for wide range of species
· Prevent pollutants and sedimentation from entering the bay
· Provide an additional 4 feet of water storage capacity to reduce flooding

2012 Update
Last year, the City of Hercules finalized grant agreements with the California Natural Resources Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency and Association of Bay Area Governments. In all, the Chelsea Wetlands Project has recieved several grants: $1.83 million from the Proposition 84 is the California River Parkways Program; $145,000 from the Green Infill Clean storm Water Initiative (EPA/ABAG), $56,200 from the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund and $40,000 from the San Francisco Foundation. The City of Hercules has also contributed $128,000, bringing the project total to over $2.1 million.

For updated information on this project see the page at the City of Hercules website.

Our mission is to assure the return of Pinole Creek to a natural riparian environment that can sustain native riparian wildlife including anadromous fish, waterfowl and migratory bird species. This restoration will add to the quality of life for the residents of Pinole, Hercules, and Unincorporated Areas of Contra Costa County, and improve the health of San Pablo Bay.

Our goals are to increase awareness and to provide quality educational opportunities for the general public to study the value of this natural resource and to accumulate and afford financial support for these goals. We will promote and support the identification, assessment and monitoring and contribute to the restoration planning process of Pinole Creek and Pinole Creek watershed and wetlands.