GWC wants you to see this short video that delivers a vital message.

Inspired by the Natural Capital Project, this video explains global biodiversity loss and how it impacts us financially, socially, and ecologically,

Here are some important documents for the San Rafael Airport development.

Click on the following PDF links:

San Rafael Airport Recreation Facility Final FEIR Errata Jan 12, 2012

Planning Commission Review of SR Airport FEIR for Jan 24 2012

Planning Commission Resolution recommending FIER Certification Jan 24 2012

Watershed Approach Survey Result

Our survey was a big success, with over 428 people visiting the site, 303 of whom identified Gallinas Creek as their watershed. 82% of those surveyed were in favor of a watershed approach to managing watershed issues such as stormwater and flooding.

Read the summary of our survey by clicking on this PDF link:

GWC Watershed Survey Summary (PDF)

The survey was also featured on the front page of the Marin IJ on Nov. 12, 2011. If you took the survey – thank you! Your voice has been heard, and our survey results have been submitted to the County!

Many of you had questions so here are some answers!

TIMELINE/PROCESS:

Q: What progress has been made so far?  What is the timeline for the master watershed plan?

A: The Timeline is still being developed by Liz Lewis, Marin County DPW’s Principal Planner for the Watershed. We will have more info at our meeting on Wednesday, Feb 29 at the Korean Presbyterian Church, 7 -9 pm when Liz Lewis will present the Draft Watershed plan for Gallinas Creek. Also, the County website for our watershed is a good source of information.

VOLUNTEERING

A: Yes you can volunteer! There are many ways to contribute! Visit our website to view a list of certain jobs we can REALLY use help with. Everyone is welcome to attend our monthly board meetings. Those who have signed up also receive our monthly announcement on projects going on that we can use help with.

THE DITCH

Q: I’m sorry the Las Gallinas creek is a concrete ditch, but I have seen it filled to capacity near Scotties Market.  Try to restore that section and you will either flood out houses or see the banks washed away.

Q: This is a misguided approach.  The cement channel was put in TO PREVENT flooding and make the water go where it is suppose to.  That’s the whole problem with the Ross Valley.  WATER does not flow properly down dirt channels

A: The initial hydrology study commissioned by the Santa Margarita HOA et al shows that restoration can be done without causing flooding. A good restoration can actually alleviate flooding by giving the creek room to spread out. The Ditch was constructed to maximize building space and push water off the landscape as fast as possible. This causes flooding to downstream neighborhoods. Engineering that is creek sensitive shows that bank stabilization with trees and vegetation is more resilient and stronger than rip rap or concrete. Certainly no one wants to see erosion or flooding in any part of the watershed; that’s why a coordinated plan, based on science, is so necessary.

AIRPORT:

Q: Because of the trash and pollution that it would cause to the Gallinas Creek, is the council fighting the development proposed at the Smith Ranch Airport?

A: Sea Level Rise due to climate change will adversely impact already existing infrastructure in the coming years and cost residents more and more to maintain and protect. We think it is irresponsible to put more infrastructure into an area that is behind a levee, below sea level. The proposal will also negatively affect the endangered Clapper Rail and other species but light and noise pollution as well as the increased trash and predators (rats) that come with human habitation. We support soccer facilities closer to the public they will serve.

DREDGING:

Q: Dredging is of utmost importance.  Without dredging the excessive alluvial soil, the creeks will vanish! Is dredging the creek a viable financial option in the near future? When will we redredge?? We have been paying in to a fund for 20 years to maintain a dredged Gallinas Creek.  Because of heavy runoff from Terra Linda, our creek is almost fully silted in.  This is unacceptable, yet local agencies are dragging their heels and year after year nothing gets done.

A: Dredging will certainly be one of the issues being addressed in the country watershed plan for our area. She can answer questions at the upcoming SVNA Watershed meeting on Feb. 29.

Q: This survey monkey is flawed because someone could answer 70 surveys the exact same way…skewing the accurate results.

A: We were able to collect and use IP addresses to remove duplicate answers.

Comment: Salmon were never as high up as Safeway on Freitas Parkway!

A. Steelhead, a type of salmon, were historically seen as high up in the watershed as Scotty’s Market. Gallinas Creek was a spawning ground for them. The Freitas brothers reported swimming in the creek during the summer, so large pools existed then, before the ditch went in.

The Gallinas Creek Watershed Survey results are in!

Our poll represents a strong beginning for a watershed plan in our area.

The data we collected is being sent to Marin County Watershed Program and City of San Rafael and other related agencies.

We will be posting more survey results on our website soon, including statistics on the information we collected.

WATERSHED SURVEY WINNERS

We’re pleased to announce the following survey participant winners!

H.M. of Santa Venetia won the 3 day/2 night stay for 7 people in a Sea Ranch Home generously donated by Carolyn Lenert.

Andy Falk won the personal 2 hour Canoe Tour of Gallinas Creek, a trip valued at $125.

Jeanette Lee won the $50 gift certificate to Chalet Basque generously donated by Chalet Basque.

Laurette Rogers won the $50 gift certificate Gaspare’s Restaurant donated by Gaspare’s Pizza.

THANK YOU to all our very special donors!

SURVEY KUDOS

Here are some of the kind words we received from our survey:

• Did not know this organization existed–nice to know
• Good work so far in raising the awareness of this issue
• I greatly support what you’re doing
• Thanks for all you do on behalf of your community and local environment!!

YOUR QUESTIONS… OUR ANSWERS!

Our survey provided us some great comments and questions. We’ll be compiling them to post on our website. Relevant agency heads will be asked to answer specific questions and offer their official stance on issues.

Question: What do you mean by “council” – what form of organization is GWC, and under what jurisdiction?
Answer: GWC is a fiscally sponsored nonprofit project of MarinLink. Next year we will become our own 501c3 non-profit corporation. Our board and members are all volunteers, all live in this area, and all love and appreciate the Gallinas Watershed and Creek, headlands to marsh. By “Council”, we mean that while we all have titles and duties, we are not hierarchical; everyone has an equal voice. We are a group much like other “Friends of” Creek Groups you may be familiar with. We’re still growing and there is a place at the table for YOU.

The topic of discussion is the FEIR for the San Rafael Airport Development.

Thank you to everyone who attended and gave public input.

Our contest closed on Nov. 30, 2011 but your opinion still matters!

The survey is open until Dec. 10 – and your input is valuable.

Meanwhile, for those who entered, winners will be notified by Dec. 4, 2011.

PRIZES:
• 3 day/2 night stay in Sea Ranch Home (sleeps 7!)
• Personal kayak tour of Gallinas Creek
• Gift certificate to Chalet Basque or Gaspare’s Restaurant.

For more information contact GWC.

Many thanks to GWC intern Diana Connolly for creating and managing this important poll for Gallinas Creek Watershed.

We received the following reply from Greg Brockbank who is running for Mayor. We are very encouraged by Greg’s response on these issues.

We will post responses from other candidates as we receive them.

Mayoral Candidate Greg Brockbank

1. The Gallinas Watershed Council has pulled hundreds of pounds of trash out of our local creeks and marshes, a large component of which is comprised of plastic bags. Do you support the plastic bag ban currently being drafted by San Rafael staff, including a clause that would eventually extend the ban to retailers?

I not only strongly support the proposed plastic bag ban, but I attended most of the meetings the county held with various city, business, and other representative to discuss and craft it. Plus, when it was in front of the county board of supervisors, I spoke in favor of it, telling them that the cities, including San Rafael, would be right behind them, which received a mighty cheer from the audience. As a repeat graduate of the Environmental Forum of Marin, who recently completed all course work for Dominican’s Sustainable Practices certificate, and who has been active in numerous other environmental organizations in Marin for over 25 years, OF COURSE I’m a strong supporter of this ban!

2. The Gallinas Watershed Council sees the best opportunities for improvement to the myriad of problems afflicting our watershed is to develop a watershed-wide partnership to develop comprehensive solutions. As a future decision maker for the City of San Rafael, and steward of the watershed, would you support San Rafael’s participation in the watershed planning process being led by Marin County?

Yes, and I appreciate the GWC taking the time to educate me more fully on these issues with a tour of the area, as well as inviting me to an event at Judy Schriebman’s house, which I attended. It certainly makes sense to use natural physical boundaries around which to develop solutio s to various planning and other issues, so OF COURSE I would support using the watershed boundaries for such planning.

3. Do you share the vision for North San Rafael put forward by the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents ( http://94903community.org/Vision.html) , including protection of the wetlands and creeks, constructing safe pedestrian and bicycle routes to connect the community, and completing the Northgate Promenade?

As the founding Vice President of the North San Rafael Coalition of Residents 25 years ago, I have been delighted to see it continue since then, currently under the impressive leadership of Carolyn Lenert. After once again reviewing the most recent draft of the vision, OF COURSE I support all the things you list, as well as the others. The action items are particularly impressive, and one can’t help but realize that there is still a great deal of work to be done to bring the vision closer to reality.

4. Given the diked wetland area currently occupied by the existing San Rafael Airport is prime habitat for the endangered Clapper Rail and other marsh species, what is your reaction to the recently released FEIR for the Airport Soccer Complex?

I have been told that the original deal with the long-time landowner and developer Joe Shekou was that he could develop the rest of his considerable holdings in this area, right up to the freeway, but that he would leave the wetlands alone on which he now proposes to build a huge indoor soccer complex. If so, this proposal would seem to be in violation of that deal. More importantly, I understand that there have been clapper rails on those wetlands, and that it is sensitive habitat for other reasons as well, so I would have great concerns about supporting it, although our city attorney coaches us carefully not to take definitive positions on such issues so we aren’t later disqualified from voting because of pre-judgment bias. Finally, issues have also been raised about inappropriate traffic, lights, and noise in an area that would be severely impacted by such a proposal, and I also value the tour given to me by members of the Gallinas Watershed Council which greatly educated me and informed my initial impressions. We do need additional sports facilities, but as mentioned, I have grave doubts about this particular location.

5. San Rafael enjoys miles of bay shoreline, abutted by open space, commercial and residential areas. These areas are threatened to varying degrees by sea level rise, currently predicted to rise a foot by 2050 and several feet by 2100. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) has released maps showing that the majority of downtown San Rafael and some portions of North San Rafael will be threatened by the sea level rise anticipated by 2050. What are your thoughts on how to prepare San Rafael for this eventuality?

I have had conversations on this topic with leaders from Sustainable San Rafael, and while I share their concern, I’m not so sure that raising the levies is likely to be considered exclusively the financial obligation of cities. I assume, and most people I have talked to agree, that the funding for such a massive project would be paid for primarily by some combination of the federal government, the state government, and the property owners themselves. Especially since cities themselves can’t afford to pay these exorbitant costs – especially alone, and especially in these tight financial times. The figures I’ve seen for the Bay Area indicate that $18 billion of real estate is at risk from rising sea levels, and it would cost about $2 billion to raise the levies to protect them. Certainly the property owners would be in the best position to be motivated to make that investment to save their properties from inundation, especially f they have help from the state and federal governments. San Rafael, like most cities, will certainly cooperate, but I can’t imagine we would be expected to pay much, if any, of that cost.

Here in Gallinas Valley many of us live very close to nature, and light pollution produces a continual state of “twilight” in the habitats around us.

This man-made twilight affects the mating habits, feeding patterns, navigational skills, and circadian rhythms (24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological, or behavioural processes of living entities) of mammals (including humans), birds, amphibians, reptiles, and insects.

Bright outdoor lights disrupt the migrating, eating and mating of nocturnal animals. Unwanted light trespass into surrounding natural areas not only disturbs but can also attract nearby wildlife.
There are long term impacts of artificial light at night on ecosystems. It has even been shown that light pollution also contributes to smog.

The Good News

• California has some of the strictest outdoor-lighting regulations
• Federal stimulus money supports US Dept of Energy and EPA campaigns for LED lighting
• The Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District (LGVSD) Board studied light pollution emanating from their luminous wastewater treatment plant in northeast Gallinas Valley and has budgeted funds to eliminate glare and light pollution. Learn more here.

Smart Lighting – Protect the Environment and Save Energy

There are many persuasive arguments against light pollution and in favor of smart lighting (in particular with LED lights)
Don’t just do it for our environment! There are other great reasons to use smarter lighting:

• Shielding a lamp usually requires a lesser wattage bulb, thereby saving energy
• Save money (less energy consumption = less cost)
• Shielding reduces glare (which can be blinding) allowing you to see lit areas better and more naturally
• Shielding produces fewer harsh shadows (where someone can hide).
• Shielding a light improves the visibility of the night sky (and enables us to see the Milky Way)

Smart Lighting Recommendations

We encourage implementation of these SMART LIGHTING methods:

• Lights that are a bit too bright and are shining in out onto fields, marshes, or other open areas, can be re-directed onto the ground where they will do the most good
• Purchase Fixture Seal of Approval (FSA) approved outdoor light fixtures that shield light (such as the Glarebuster)
• Use light only WHERE it is needed with well-designed fixtures that put light onto the ground instead of sending it into the sky
• Use light only WHEN it is needed by using timers and motion sensors
• Use only as much light as needed for safety and security
• Use energy efficient lighting with less scatter and glare
• Use HPS (High Pressume Sodium) and LED type bulbs (incandescent bulbs squander 90% of their electricity as heat; CLFs contain mercury and must be disposed of as toxic waste)

Further Information

GWC Light Pollution Information

International Dark-Sky Association (THE Light Pollution Authority)

Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Wildlife (PDF)

Lighting and Wildlife: 101 Introduction (PDF)

Five Ways to Bring Back The Night

National Geographic Light Pollution Special

Understanding Light Pollution (Cape Cod Astronomical Society)

It’s All About The Lighting (Wall Street Journal)

Everything is Illuminated, All the Time (KQED)

The Martians are coming! (SVNA PDF)

On A Clear Night, Can You See Forever? (SVNA PDF)

GWC Gallinas Watershed Bike Tour participants

Thank you to all who joined the 15 mile bike tour through Gallinas watershed. Here are some photos!

On an overcast Saturday on August 20 we met at 10 AM at the Mt. Tamalpais Picnic Area. We biked through Terra Linda and Santa Venetia with many stops along the way.Thanks to all who participated!

It was a wonderful sunny day by the time we returned to McInnis Park happy and hungry for a post-ride picnic.

Here is a little video summary:

2011 Gallinas Watershed Bike Tour

Locations we stopped at to discuss the watershed and its inhabitants included:

1) Lucas Valley Rd headwaters

2) Los Gamos / Manuel Freitas

3) Scotty’s Market

4) Promenade

5) Railroad crossing under highway 101 / South Fork / Pickleweed patch near 101

6) Santa Venetia Armory / Armory Creek Bridge

7) Santa Venetia Open Space levy / Mouth of Gallinas Creek

Santa Margarita Island

9) Embassy Suites Hotel

10) Truck removal site off Mitchell Blvd.

Invitation