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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 03231999 - C14 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS,AS GOVERININC BOARD OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT FROM: I. MICHAEL WALFORD, CHIEF ENGINEER BATE: March 23, 1999 SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer to sign and submit a CALFED grant application for funding of the East Antioch Creek Wetland Restoration Project in Antioch. Project No.7566-6D8483 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION 1. Recommended Action: AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer to sign and submit a CALFED grant application for funding of the East Antioch Creep Wetland Restoration Project in Antioch. Project No.7566-6D8483 II. FinancialIMpact None. Applying for the grant does not obligate the District to expend any additional funds. If CALFED awards the grant,and the District goes forward with the work,the funds expended will be from the Drainage Area 56 (DA 56)trust fund and be used for project items shown on the DA 56 Plan. The grant will be for additional funds to pay for wetland restoration and enhancements, educational and monitoring programs, and possibly creek right of way acquisition and clean up—.\ Continued on Attachment: X SIGNATURE: � RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON March23, 1999 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X VMVM VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT ?done ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: MC:jig I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy FLDCTL\\BO Mar 23 99 EAC Wetiard.dao of an action taken and entered on the minutes of Cott.ct: M.Bo cher(31.3-2278) ks Food78) the Board of Supervisors on the date Shown. Contact: M.Boucher(3t 3-1278) p Brandt,City of Antioch CAOMitch kemn,FloodiaodControl ATTESTED: D.Eckerson,Fuad Control County Counsel PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Board of Accounting Supervisors and County Administrator S By 4' J ° �.- ,Deputy t f f SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer to sign and submit a CALFED grant application for funding of the East Antioch Creek Wetland Restoration Project in Antioch. Project No.7566-6D8483 DATE. March 23, 1999 PAGE 2 III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: The Flood Control District owns more than twenty(20) acres of marshland along East Antioch Creek near the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge and the San Joaquin River. This property was assembled for a future Drainage Area 56 (DA56)project designed to increase flow capacity the creek from Lake Alhambra to the San Joaquin River. The focus of the grant proposal is for the East Antioch Creek Wetland Restoration Project (a.k.a. Habitat Restoration of the Julia Cox Freeman Wetlands Preserve) on the 7.5-acre site located immediately downstream of Lake Alhambra in a residential neighborhood south of Wilbur Avenue and west of Cavallo Road in the City of Antioch. This site is considered as Phase I of a larger project which would include similar wetland restoration of East Antioch Creek downstream and north of Wilbur Avenue. The Flood Control District has been collecting DA 56 fees for improving the capacity of the creek in this area. The grant is to pay for items of work beyond the DA 56 plan that will be implemented by the various members of a team using the grant funds and other local funds. The team will include the Flood Control District,the Mt. Diablo Audubon Society, and the City of Antioch. Efforts will be made to foster community volunteer and local school involvement. Project Goals: 1. Increase healthy populations of native Delta plants,birds, fish, and mammals by cleaning up,expanding, restoring and monitoring the 7.5 acre Julia Cox Freeman Wetlands Preserve as a healthy saline emergent wetland. 2. Foster public understanding of wetlands habitat and its importance to our environment by establishing an onsite education facility and a small special use staging/educational area. Implementation Plan: The project team members have agreed to do the following; Flood Control District The Flood Control District will assess, design, and implement the engineering and re-vegetation of the preserve. To this effect they will. • perform a feasibility analysis,including soil sampling, site assessment, species survey,hydrology and topography(These are normal engineering and environmental tasks for the DA 56 project), • prepare a conceptual design and monitoring plan; • clean up the site,remove invasive plants and non-native wildlife; • create additional wetlands by excavating, regrading and enlarging the existing culvert (These are normal engineering and environmental tasks for the DA 56 project); • reestablish native plant species; • develop methods and/or barriers to minimize the re-entry of non-native plants and wildlife; • develop the adjacent upland habitat to provide refuge for wildlife during high tides. SUBJECT: AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer to sign and submit a CALFED grant application for funding of the East Antioch Creek Wetland Restoration Project in Antioch. Project No.7566-6D8483 DATE: :March 23, 1999 PAGE 3 Mt. Diablo Audubon Society The Mt. Diablo Audubon Society will develop a community outreach strategy,monitor the recovery of the preserve, and build an onsite public education facility. The goal of the outreach strategy is to involve the neighbors in the ongoing support and protection of this valuable community resource. The current plan for the education facility includes: • fencing the entire site; ® developing a portion of the upland as a small special use staging/educational area; $ building an education facility. The small staging/educational area will consist of an entry road, turnaround and parking area for school buses and several cars, five picnic tables, benches, trash containers, a drinking fountain and two pump out or sewered toilets. The education facility will include a small 30-person amphitheater, a kiosk or other central display explaining the wetlands and their importance, ad walkways connecting to a series of wildlife- viewing and water-sampling platforms with interpretive signs. The Mt.Diablo Audubon Society will work with local schools to develop educational programs that use the site as a"wetlands classroom." City of Antioch Discussions have begun with the City of Antioch to see how the site development and ongoing educations:and monitoring programs may fit into their Clean Water program with a possible longer term funding support through that program. When the Clean Water funding proposal is complete, it will be brought before the City Council, which has not yet been informed of the project's potential of being part of the City Clean Water program. It is anticipated that this will be resolved before the grant deadline of April 15, 1999. The City may also have some other not yet defined long-term involvement in the completed project. Land Acquisition and Cleanup: There is a 5.0 acre site near the East Antioch Creek crossing of the railroad tracks known as the Hickmott parcel, owned.by Antioch Diversified Development Association, which is tax delinquent and in need of some level of hazardous material clean ups The Flood Control District is currently weighting the option to acquire the parcel and clean it up using the CALFED grant monies. The purpose of that acquisition would be to prepare for the next phase of the wetland restoration project and to continue the Districts DA 56 right of way acquisitions for the creek. The initial cost of performing the Phase II environmental assessment is approximately $40,000 and it has not yet been determined if the District will move ahead with the assessment. IV. Consequences of Negative Action: Failure to apply for the grant will result in possible loss of funds for wetland restoration and enhancements, and educational monitoring programs that are consistent with the District's mission statement, goals and objectives.