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The Watershed Project, American Rivers, the City of Richmond, and Restoration Design Group are working together to design and implement a solution to the flooding in the Rollingwood neighborhood, which has been a long-time issue. We hope to reduce neighborhood flooding and make Rheem Creek a more enjoyable place to live next to, by making a plan to remove sediment from the creek and plant native trees and plants. We received funding from the Coastal Conservancy to determine the causes of the flooding and design a solution, and received a grant from the California Natural Resources Agency to implement the solution.
The Watershed Project has hosted several opportunities for neighbors and community members to learn more about the project and get involved. See below for more about what we’ve done together, and stay tuned for additional ways to get involved in the future!
Latest Updates
Construction is underway!
We’re excited to share that construction to reduce flooding and improve habitat on Rheem Creek began in September. The contractor, UST Services Inc., is aiming to get as much of the work with heavy equipment completed as possible before October 31 or when the rains start, whichever comes first. Construction crews are now working Monday-Saturday. If you have questions about the construction, please refer to the City of Richmond’s notice linked here, and/or contact Wendy Wellbrock, City of Richmond Project Manager, (510) 307-8108).
Press release about the project.
Recording of Neighborhood Zoom Meeting 8/23 at 6:30 p.m.
Thanks to those who joined us on Zoom to discuss the upcoming construction plans, what to expect, and how to get involved. If you missed the meeting, you can view the Zoom recording below.
Please reach out to paula@thewatershedproject.org with any questions.
Have you experienced flood damages?
Edgar Rosales from Supervisor John Gioa’s office is compiling a list of damage to residents. This is the first step in applying for disaster funding. For more information send Edgar an email: Edgar.Rosales@bos.cccounty.us
To qualify, the county has to demonstrate a significant impact to private property. There is a page on the County website that residents can go to get more info: Storm Response 2023 Disaster Recovery webpage at https://www.contracosta.ca.gov/9761/Storm-Response-2023-Disaster-Recovery-FA
Community Meeting on Wednesday December 14th, 2022
Thank you to those who joined us on Zoom to talk more about upcoming construction plans and opportunities for community involvement for the Rheem Creek project! If you missed it, you can view the Zoom recording below.
In October 2021, the City of Richmond announced that they received a $1.6 million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency to restore Rheem Creek and reduce the risk of flooding! This includes finalizing the designs with community input, removing invasive vegetation, digging a deeper creek channel, repairing storm drains, planting native plants, and installing new fencing and educational signage. Construction is planned for summer 2023. Thanks to all the neighbors who shared their stories, photos, and knowledge of the creek and flooding in the neighborhood–this project would not be possible without your help.
Click here to see the full press release!
In December 2020, neighbors received a storybook with information about why the creek floods (based on what we found in the neighborhood flood study and topographic survey), and how we propose to reduce the flooding. We asked neighbors to share their preferences for which types of trees they would like (or NOT like) to have alongside the creek near their home, and revised the planting plan based on their feedback.
Want more detail? View the concept design below:
Thank you to the neighbors who joined us for our community workday on October 19, 2019! We successfully cleared a few truckloads of vegetation and several bags of trash from the creek.
We teamed up with neighbors to clear creek vegetation in preparation for a topographic survey, which helped us learn more about why the creek floods. Our permits only allowed us to clear enough vegetation to complete the survey, so this work is not expected to resolve the flooding issue yet. It’s going to take some time to develop and implement a solution to the flooding, but this topographic survey is an important first step.
A team of students went door to door in the neighborhood in July 2019 to let neighbors know about the project. They also asked residents to share their experiences with flooding and/or living next to the creek, to help us understand when and how the flooding happens.
Thank you to the 42 neighbors along Greenwood Drive, Greenwood Court, Moyers Road, and Shane Drive who gave interviews to our canvassing team! Your experiences, photos and videos will be vital to understanding when and how flooding happens, and informing a solution. Click here to read an article about what residents shared with us.
Are you interested in receiving email updates about the project, including opportunities to get involved? Email Anne at anne@thewatershedproject.org and ask to be added to the Neighborhood Interest List.
For more information:
Click here for a project fact sheet in English or Spanish
Contact Anne Bremer (anne@thewatershedproject.org or 510-680-3367)
City of Richmond project web page
