Water Resources Collections and Archives

Located within an 8.9-­‐square mile watershed in Marin County, California, Redwood Creek flows from the peaks of Mt. Tamalpais to Muir Beach, where it empties into the Pacific Ocean. The watershed supports the southernmost population of federally listed Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), as well as Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a federally endangered species in California. A 2003 restoration project at the Banducci Site, a former agricultural area created in the channel's natural floodplain, sought to restore juvenile salmonid rearing habitat and re-­‐establish floodplain connectivity. Restoration activities included a series of Eucalyptus large woody debris structures, excavation of a pre-­‐existing artificial levee, and revegetation of native plant species along the riparian corridor. Seven years after implementation, our study characterizes the creeks geomorphic conditions through photodocumentation, historic aerial imagery, facies mapping, and longitudinal profile and cross section surveys along the study reach. Results show that installation of the logjams are significant to the success of deep pool formations and improved geomorphological complexity, increasing the overall habitat complexity within the reach. Native vegetation is thriving along gravel bars, stream banks and the restored floodplain. Logjams are holding their integrity in the stream, and structure 6-­‐7-­‐ 8 is doing particularly well at collecting large amounts of natural woody debris from upstream, ideal for coho rearing habitat. Despite the currently low populations of salmonids, the restoration of Redwood Creek promises quality habitat for future fish passage.