The restoring wildcat creek: community-led watershed health update and priority project implementation project, seeks to create a watershed-scale restoration action plan, implement critically needed…

This $6,102,000 Project Grant award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 under the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (CFDA 66.126) will fund the "Restoring Wildcat Creek: Community-Led Watershed Health Update and Priority Project Implementation" project. The key products and services to be delivered include:

• Restoration of 5,000 feet of sediment-choked riparian corridor and 10 acres of adjacent habitat along Wildcat Creek
• Creation of a 50,000 cubic yard sediment storage site for beneficial reuse in future North Richmond horizontal levee construction
• Establishment of over 1 mile of fish passage in the lower Wildcat Creek watershed
• Development of 100% design plans for a critical trail gap to connect the underserved North Richmond community to the Bay Trail

The project will be implemented by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) in partnership with sub-recipients the Watershed Project, Contra Costa County, and Urban Tilth. The award provides full federal funding and has an approved preaward start date of April 15, 2024, with a planned completion by April 14, 2028.

The restoring wildcat creek: community-led watershed health update and priority project implementation project, seeks to create a watershed-scale restoration action plan, implement critically needed restoration in the lower part of the watershed. The project will create design plans to address the gaps in the wildcat creek trail that prevent underserved communities from accessing the shoreline and the planned improvements there. Wildcat creek has a very large sediment supply and produces more sediment than other north coast watersheds of similar size. Key studies have identified or summarized sediment production for the overall watershed and for separate portions of the watershed, but additional work is needed to generate a holistic plan for sediment dynamics and restoration in this active system. This project will align riparian management efforts throughout the watershed by identifying and prioritizing restoration projects informed by data collection and analysis. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $6,102,000. Preaward costs approved back to 04/15/2024. See terms and conditions. Activities:to implement the SAN francisco estuary partnership comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp), the association of BAY area governments will restore 5,000 feet of sediment-choked riparian corridor and 10 acres of adjacent habitat, create a long-term sediment storage site for 50,000 cubic yards of sediment expected to be removed as part of the restoration project that will be beneficially reused in the future for the north richmond horizontal levee, and establish fish passage for over a mile of lower wildcat creek. The project will also create 100% designs for a critical trail GAP between the underserved community of north richmond and the BAY trail with a feasibility study and alternatives analysis for the section between rumrill blvd and the wildcat creek fish ladder.subrecipient:subaward will support facility improvements in preparation for sediment reuse.outcomes:anticipated deliverables include restoration of the lower wildcat creek corridor and 10 acres of riparian habitat. This project will create 100% designs for a walking trail to connect the north richmond community the the BAY trail. Expected long-term outcomes include advancing progress toward the north richmond horizontal levee by processing sediment for beneficial reuse in the future levee as well as facility updates to the west county wastewater treatment facility where the sediment will be stored with other biosolids. The intended beneficiaries of this project include the communities along the north richmond shoreline that will be affected by sea-level rise and riparian zone in the lower wildcat creek watershed.