By Chris Hunter
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - If you didn't know any better, you might think they were building a freeway at the bottom of San Pedro Creek.
What was once a jungle of brush has been widened into a major construction zone. Massive trees have been cut down and placed strategically along a man-made winding creek bed that replaces Mother Nature's ineffective design.
It's an absolutely amazing project, even though it's only about 1,000 feet stretching from the Capistrano Bridge downstream.
But where's the creek? Well, it's been temporarily diverted through a black pipe, leaving the construction area high and dry. Trucks, earth moving machines, tree trimmers and various other vehicles are pushing, shoving, shaping and trimming.
Public Works Director Scott Holmes, acting a little bit like God's right hand man, oversees the project. And yes, he's proud of the success it represents. Not only does the reshaped creek fix a problem for Steelhead Trout, it is another part of the mosaic that is Pacifica's massive flood control project.
"The Spaniards, by 1880, had channelized the creek for agriculture," says Holmes, balking a little at the notion he is omnipotent.
Climbing down into the new San Pedro Creek, you're immediately struck by the sense that it could be the beginning of a major new Disneyland Theme Park river ride. If audio-animatronic elephants or dinosaurs showed up, it would seem natural.
Not to worry, though, the creek project is on private property and only the residents along the banks will ultimately enjoy the fantastic new views being created. Apartment buildings along Rosita Road and private homes on the other side will ultimately benefit from having a gorgeous, man-made river flowing where a cramped little creek had been.
Holmes says the massive project represents nearly $2 million in grant money The terribly ineffective fish ladder that had been under the Capistrano Br= idge for decades could not be used by the fish it was intended for. Hence, the new project which levels out the creek bed, eliminating the need for the ladder. The new design of the creek allows for small pools and irregularities that slow down the speed of the flowing water, giving fish an opportunity to travel upstream.
Of course, they had to spend some $25,000 to catch all the Steelhead and keep them safe before plugging up the creek and embarking on the project. Fish don't handle traveling through a pipe very well. "We took out 250 large Steelhead," says Holmes. Essentially built for the fish, the new creek will offer steady jumps through pools rather than the difficult metal ladder that had stopped working for the piscine travelers.
City Council member Pete DeJarnatt has twice now marveled at the project during City Council meetings, urging folks to take a look at it from the Capistrano Bridge. He's right; it is an amazing sight. Pacificans who are not used to seeing major construction projects need only look to the environmental efforts that have gone into the overall flood control project to see a world-class reshaping of the environment.
That's something Holmes wants the public to become more cognizant of; that each element of Pacifica's recent grant-funded projects, from the renovation of Pacifica State Beach to the widening of the lower part of San Pedro Creek, are elements of a 26-year flood control project. Even the plan to rebuild the Highway 1 bridge west of the Linda Mar Shopping Center, recently funded through federal allocations, will be part of the flood control project.
Holmes is a walking encyclopedia of facts and figures about Pacifica's flood history. He has been working on flood control practically his entire career, which stretches back nearly three decades in Pacifica. "In 1998, as storm cut down six feet," he says, explaining that the narrow creek was a huge problem during high water storms. Spreading the banks wide makes for a safer, healthier environment during flood stages.
But the unique quality of the construction going into San Pedro Creek is really something special. Large boulders are being placed in strategic locations to keep the creek bed stable. Trees and rocks are being added to help the creek wind through the neighborhood. Eventually, when the water is "turned back on," it will fill its new path in an open, uncluttered manner A massive planting effort is also underway, similar to efforts undertaken = at the Calera Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Pacifica State Beach, that will jumpstart the natural vegetation and aesthetics of the area. And because of the attention being placed on the project, Holmes is confident other stretches of the creek will eventually receive more funding for continued work. He says that environmental granting agencies like to see their money well spent; that is definitely happening in Pacifica.
"It's going to be beautiful," says Holmes.
So, while the newly improved San Pedro Creek won't actually become another Disneyland Jungle Ride, it will certainly be an addition to Pacifica that residents can point to with pride.
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