McCosker Creek Restoration and Public Access Project Update
The largest creek restoration project in the Park District’s history is wrapping up at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. The McCosker Creek Restoration and Public Access Project, which began construction in 2020, daylights approximately 3,000 linear feet of previously culverted creek and provides restored natural habitat that has the potential to support 10 special-status or protected species, including the California red-legged frog, California foothill yellow-legged frog, Alameda striped racer, Alameda whipsnake, San Francisco dusky-footed wood rat, golden eagle, Cooper’s hawk, loggerhead shrike, northern harrier, and white-tailed kite.
Water quality and streamflow is currently improved by the completed creek channel portion of the project, providing new habitat for rainbow trout. In fact, a young-of-year (juvenile) rainbow trout was observed in the channel in late winter 2022. The project restores sections of Alder and Leatherwood creeks, which are part of the upper San Leandro Creek watershed.
Funding for the project includes $4 million secured by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan in the 2019 state budget. Additional funding came from the Park District's voter-approved Measure WW and other state and federal grants, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Wildlife Conservation Board, Coastal Conservancy, Department of Parks and Recreation, and by voter-approved Propositions 1, 84, and 50 through the California Natural Resources Agency to safeguard California's water.
