Your place to find the latest information about the Friends' projects and events. Photos from these projects and events have been added to the Photo Gallery at the bottom of this page.
Visit the gardens created by volunteers from Friends of Alhambra Creek and the California Native Plant Society to get ideas for your very own California native garden at home!
The goal of the Alhambra Native Plant Trail is not only to educate residents about our native flora, but also to create a wildlife corridor through Martinez for birds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.
Having a creek or waterway flowing along or through your property can be a blessing, but it comes with various potential challenges. According to Contra Costa Public Works, "If your property has a creek or a waterway flowing through it, it is your responsibility to maintain it. Typically private property extends to the center of the creek and not just to the fence line. These privately owned creeks are an important part of our county’s drainage system and are regulated by County ordinance, but they are not maintained by the County." To read more about your responsibility as a private creek owner from the county, visit this Private Creek Maintenance page.
Here is a list of resources that may be helpful to you as a creekside property owner:
Please note, any work to alter a creek (widening, filling, dredging, reinforcing banks, etc.) may require permits from the County, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the State Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Contact these regulatory agencies for more information.
These hike flyers were created by FoAC member, Doug Burgess
The Alhambra Watershed Council (AWC) is a stakeholder group that was established in 1997 to produce the Alhambra Creek Watershed Management Plan (2001). The group’s mission is to protect and enhance the health of the Alhambra Creek Watershed by educating the public about the watershed, providing a forum for new ideas and projects, and acting as a community resource.
By representing diverse stakeholder interests and promoting healthy natural systems, the AWC aims to support the health and vitality of the entire watershed community. Contra Costa County, Friends of Alhambra Creek, National Park Service, New Leaf Collaborative, Mt. View Sanitary District, and residents are among the active participants. Past projects include the Alhambra Creek Watershed Map and Festival and the Strentzel Lane Flood Reduction Project. The AWC receives coordinator support from the CCRCD.
Meetings are currently held on the first Tuesday of every month (excluding August) at 6:30pm, on Zoom. Interested community members are welcome to attend AWC meetings. Come and share your ideas!
AWC Meeting dates for 2023 are listed below. If you would like to join a meeting and are not yet on the AWC email list, please contact Victoria Woolfolk for the meeting access info.
January3, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 4, September 5, October 3,November 7, December 5
The New Leaf Collaborative is a 501c3 non-profit corporation based out of Martinez, CA. They support learners in the following ways: