Water Resources Collections and Archives

Alamo Creek is located 2 miles east of Danville California and drains a watershed of 7.4 square miles. The watershed has historically been used as a grazing land for cattle. The grazing coupled with increased urbanization of the watershed has caused channel incision thereby preventing normal flooding and preventing riparian establishment. The Windemere housing development initiated a restoration project in 1999 designed by Philip Williams Associates to prevent further channel incision, create a floodplain, form a healthy riparian zone, and stabilize the banks. The project reach runs from the north to the south for 11,600’ along the east side of the channel. This post-project appraisal found that 4 years after the project channel incision has been greatly reduced, a 100-150 meter floodplain now exists, and an early seral stage riparian zone exists with a 83% survival rate. Despite the project reaching its restoration goals the creek has not been completely restored, rather it has been rehabilitated. The right-bank along the entire reach is unstable and does not support riparian growth and heavy sedimentation along with vegetation encroachment is strangling and suffocating the low energy channel.