Watershed council urges Walnut Creek to prioritize creek and wetland restoration; recommends updating 1993 Creek Master Plan
Loading...
Summary
Bob Simmons of the Walnut Creek Watershed Council urged the PROS Commission to elevate creek-restoration planning, noting recent inventory work, a approved Watersmart planning grant and the high cost of restoration projects.
Bob Simmons, president of the Walnut Creek Watershed Council, addressed the PROS Commission during public comment on Feb. 3 and urged the city to prioritize creek and wetland restoration across the watershed.
Simmons summarized recent watershed work: in 2024 the council completed an identification of high- and medium-priority restoration sites in developed portions of the watershed and the council learned in early January that it had been approved for a Bureau of Reclamation Watersmart planning grant to create a first-ever watershed restoration plan. He told commissioners that the first drop structure on the system is a complete barrier to salmon passage and that recent engagement with the flood-control district and the Army Corps of Engineers had produced a positive initial response to studying fish-passage alternatives.
Why it matters: Simmons said creeks and wetlands deliver disproportionate environmental benefits — habitat, pollinators and carbon sequestration — and that many existing city plans date to the early 1990s. He recommended the city consider a comprehensive update to the 1993 Creek Master Plan and to budget for restoration projects rather than rely solely on volunteer effort.
Simmons noted the cost of restoration work: he cited a multi-year restoration near the library that has run to roughly $175,000 and emphasized that some sites require contractor work rather than volunteer labor. "Creek restoration is really expensive," he said, and added that cohesive planning would help the city and its partners prioritize sites and tap grants.
Commissioners responded with interest. Several commissioners endorsed recommending a creek-master-plan update and asked staff to explore funding and grant opportunities. Staff said they would summarize the commission’s priorities and consider a recommendation that Council fund a planning process or consultant to scope restoration needs and costs.
What’s next: commissioners asked staff to include creek-restoration planning among potential priorities forwarded to the City Council, and staff said they would prepare background and scope options for future commission meetings.
