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Novato Creek project finished
The Marin County Flood Control and Water Conservation District is celebrating the completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lee Gerner Parkon Friday. The $2.5 million construction for the project's eighth and last phase began in June along a one-mile stretch of the Novato Creek between Diablo and Grant avenues. "We merged creek habitat concerns with bank stabilization," said county creek naturalist Liz Lewis. "It provides those residents and businesses along that stretch of creek with bank protection before going into winter. Timing is critical." The phase was designed to reduce erosion, enhance creekside habitat, incorporate native vegetation and provide 50-year flood protection. Work also included building access ramps and re-sloping banks to increase capacity. "This project incorporates state-of-the-art engineering with fish-friendly measures that will improve creek habitat and conditions for steelhead, which is on the federal list of threatened species," said county Public Works Director Farhad Mansourian. Maggiora & Ghilotti Inc. of San Rafael did the construction work. The Novato Creek Flood Control project consisted of eight phases to improve Novato Creek, Warner Creek, Arroyo Avichi Creek and Deer Island Wetlands, Lewis said. The first seven phases, which began in 1986, cost about $10 million and focused on enlarging the three creeks to allow more water to flow through and installing a bypass channel in Arroyo Avichi Creek, among other improvements. Contact Carla Bova via e-mail at cbova@marinij.com |
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