Greetings!
Welcome to the Summer edition of the Novato Watershed Program newsletter. We have updated our format to better serve the Program's needs. We are also introducing a public notification list, so please share this news with others who are interested in the Novato Watershed Program and may wish to sign up.
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Grant Application submitted for Lower Novato Creek project
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We are excited to announce that the Novato Watershed Program has submitted a pre-proposal for $4.5 million in grant funds through the State of California's Integrated Regional Water Management Plan's (IRWMP) Bay Area Regional Shoreline Resilience Program. The proposed project would restore approximately 80 acres of former tidal marsh on lower Novato Creek next to Deer Island and would combine urban flood protection for downtown Novato with shoreline and habitat adaptation to sea level rise. The proposed project is cutting edge in its consideration of measures that would re-use dredged sediment from Novato Creek to create eco-tone levees and new tidal marsh habitat.
The grant award schedule and the amount of funding are still unclear because of the on-going drought. The State has shifted its funding priorities to drought relief that could postpone implementation of the Shoreline Resiliency projects along with all non-drought related projects. We expect to receive notification of the proposal status in early 2015. Regardless of whether the proposal is funded this time, the submittal process has created a lot of interest and support for the Novato Watershed Program among local, State and Federal resource agencies.
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Hydraulic Modeling Update
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Watershed Program staff and their consultants have been working to complete the Novato Watershed Hydraulics Study and Alternatives Analysis with input from the Technical Working Group and our partner agencies. Much of the existing conditions modeling has been completed; and the Existing Conditions report has been posted to the Program web site.
Work has already begun to develop and organize the alternative project scenarios and it is anticipated that staff will review this information with the Technical Working Group and our partner agencies this summer. We are planning for a community meeting this winter to present the considered alternatives to the public and obtain feedback. Based on feedback from the community, our partner agencies and stakeholder groups, the various scenarios will be refined. We anticipate a second community meeting in spring 2015 to present the finalized alternatives and modeling results.
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Sign up for Watershed News!
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NEW! The Watershed Program is introducing public notification lists for watershed updates. The orange "Sign Up Now" buttons can be found here on the right, on the Watershed Program website main page, and on individual program pages such as the Novato Watershed Program page. Clicking the button will lead to a form where users can select which watersheds they want to hear about. Check it out and share with your friends!
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The Novato Creek Flood Protection and Watershed Program is a project of the County of Marin Department of Public Works. Link
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