Marin County Participation in FishNet 4C

County Increases Stream Corridor Protection

Marin County Board of Supervisors received their “environmental report card” from FishNet in 2001, Marin County Policy Summary (pdf).

A priority for Marin was to expand jurisdiction of riparian corridor protections on undeveloped lots along anadromous salmon streams. In 2003, the newly drafted Streamside Protection Ordinance (pdf) was adopted, which expanded protections on most undeveloped lots next to anadromous streams. The ordinance builds on the 1998 Countywide Plan’s 100’ buffer protections to require design review of development proposals on these parcels. A proposed 50’ buffer in the urban corridor is still in discussion.

Marin County Creates Fish Passage Program

In Spring 2005, Marin County Board of Supervisors voted to establish a County Fisheries Restoration Program aimed at restoring fish passage through county culverts on salmon streams in West Marin. Marin’s watersheds are very important to the recovery of coho salmon populations, as it is estimated that approximately 10% of all California wild coho salmon spawn in streams flowing into Tomales Bay.

The County’s new program will focus on replacing and restoring fish passage at each high priority location. For details on the top dozen priority culverts see: Marin Fish Passage Priorities (pdf).

Upcoming Fish Passage Projects - Summer 2005

Woodacre Creek at the Woodacre Improvement Club
This undersized culvert with a perched outlet creates a serious barrier to juvenile salmonids. Restoration includes replacement of the culvert with an open bottom arch, “day-lighting” 191’ of stream channel which currently runs under a tennis court, and extensive streambank restoration. The project will open up 1700’ of fisheries habitat. Cooperative landowners at the Woodacre Improvement Club have made this project a priority for the salmon.

Woodacre Creek Evans Canyon Fish Passage Project
This large concrete box culvert will be replaced with an open bottomed arch on this coho salmon stream in the San Geronimo watershed. Habitat above the structure is rated as good, with dense riparian vegetation and good spawning gravels.

Photo: Barrier status rated “RED” due to high velocities and perched outlet. (Taylor and Assoc. 2002).

Proposition 13 Supports Salmon Restoration in Marin

Marin County was recently awarded a significant grant from San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board through Prop 13. The funds are earmarked to complete a series of projects related to restoring aquatic habitat and improving water quality- all beneficial to salmon. The County partnered on the grant with Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), which funds actions including a sediment study for Lagunitas Creek, 15-30 road restoration projects, a culvert replacement for fish passage, and training on the FishNet roads manual. The project also includes GIS of roads as part of a multi-agency ROADS MOU (pdf) initiated by MMWD with participation by Marin County and other agencies. The ROADS MOU is based on the Guidelines for the Maintenance and Management of Unpaved Roads in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed (pdf) (MMWD 2001).

Contact Us

Supervisor Steve Kinsey; 4th District
Marin County Civic Center
(415) 499-7331
(415) 499-3060
skinsey@co.marin.ca.us

Other Helpful Links

Marin County MCSTOPP Program
http://www.mcstoppp.org/

Marin County RCD
http://www.sonomamarinrcds.org/

Salmon Protection and Watershed Network
http://www.spawnusa.org/

Tomales Bay Watershed Council
http://www.tomalesbaywatershed.org/

Marin Munincipal Water District
http://www.marinwater.org/

NOAA—National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Region
http://swr.nmfs.noaa.gov/

California Dept. of Fish and Game
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/

California Resources Agency
http://resources.ca.gov/

Cal Fish—California Cooperative Fish and Habitat Data Program
http://www.calfish.org/

State Coastal Conservancy
http://www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov/

State Water Resources Control Board / Regional Boards
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/regions.html