SFPUC 2001 Alameda Watershed Management Plan

XII. SUMMARY OF COMMMENTS AND RESPONSESB. SUMMARY OF COMMENTS AND RESPONSESAnd her conclusion is that those two, the adults and the natives were similar and they are centralCalifornia coast steelhead. And her recommendation, which is that rainbow trout and water troutshould be managed as central California coast steelheads.Third. The third reason is that there’s, you know, efforts -- in fact, we moved, last week, adultsteelhead over in the lower Niles Canyon. These are permits from Fish and Game, cooperation ofthe East Bay Regional Park District and the Alameda County Flood Control District. There’s anongoing policy to transport adult steelhead upstream into the lower Niles Canyon Road where thetension can be within and certainly are influenced by management actions, and the SFPUCwatershed rules.The major reason though is, as Jim pointed out, this is a 20 year plan and there’s currentlymanagement agencies in the lower creek pursuing some fundings and permits to build fishpassages facilities past a number of barriers in the lower creek and there’s a few of thecommunity release basically and this pretty much ensures that adult steelhead has access to thewatershed in the foreseeable future, certainly in the next 20 years.” (Jeff Miller – PleasantonPublic Meeting)Comment I-47: “For more than 50 years, this creek has been abused, devastated, damned, dug,killed by cities, counties, water departments and residents.As the Alliance has gone in, we have cleaned out tons of junk. This creek has every right to bedead, but it’s not. This creek is still alive. It’s head water teem with trout.Have you ever seen a steelhead trying to get up this creek. I brought a few pictures. I know theCourt Reporter can’t record them, but I thought maybe you would be interested in what anAlameda Creek steelhead looks like. These were captured last year.For more than two years now, we have been working to restore this creek. The cities don’t careabout it. The City of San Ramon didn’t even know San Ramon Creek ran into Alameda Creek.They thought it went north when they did their plan of the Circle Ranch development. The chiefplanner felt the same, until she was informed differently. The other cities use it as an opendrainpipe, and as long as it doesn’t cost them money, they’re happy. The gravel company uses itas a source of profit. The water departments take its lifeblood. The cattle tromp in and around.This stream can be restored. It needs to be addressed in EIR.One of the primary goals of this water shed management is the preservation of this stream. Thisis a 20 year plan you’re working on. It makes no provision for a fish at the BART structure, itjust says the fish has to stop there. The fish ladders can be built. The damage can be undone, andI would ask your help in addressing this.” (James Levy – Pleasanton Public Meeting)Comment I-48: “I am concerned that the two EIRs noted above do not address wildlife(particularly wild steelhead trout) needs in either the San Mateo Creek and lower Pilarcitos CreekNOP 96.223E: Alameda Watershed Management Plan C&R.79 ESA / 930385