Project uses natural ways to fight arroyo erosion Crews hope to slow water with plants, trees By Meera Pal CONTRA COSTA TIMES Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Using nature's tools of logs and tree roots, local, state and federal agencies have joined efforts to battle streambank erosion along the Arroyo de la Laguna between Pleasanton and Sunol. The arroyo is being severely impacted by runoff from the upstream Tri-Valley watershed, with several feet of the streambank eroding each year, according to the Livermore-Amador Valley's Zone 7 Water Agency. To help slow down the upstream water and deflect it back into the arroyo's center -- as well as create healthier habitat -- the project uses harvested eucalyptus trees, Christmas trees, root masses from fallen oak trees, rock barbs and new vegetative plantings. The project, expected to be completed Oct. 15, uses biotechnical restoration practices not typically used in semiurban areas, said Terry Huff of the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service in a news release. The project also will improve habitat for steelhead trout, once the downstream barriers for fish migration are removed. If successful, these practices may be utilized in other parts of the watershed with similar issues, he said. The project is located along a 1,000-foot section of the Arroyo de la Laguna owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission about a half mile south of the Verona Road bridge between Pleasanton and Sunol. The arroyo is the main tributary of Alameda Creek, the second-largest drainage to the San Francisco Bay. The arroyo flows into Alameda Creek just west of the Sunol water temple, and Alameda Creek flows from there west through Niles Canyon. The Arroyo de la Laguna drains about 400 square miles of the upper Alameda Creek watershed in the Tri-Valley region, and provides habitat for the California red-legged frog, the Western pond turtle, migrating song birds and other wildlife. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Alameda County Resource Conservation District have teamed up with the Public Utilities Commission, Zone 7, Alameda County Public Works Agency and the Dublin San Ramon Services District on the $650,000 pilot project Reach Meera Pal at 925-847-2120 or mpal2@cctimes.com. http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/email/news/15508498.htm

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