Bear Gulch Fish Passage Plan

Residents in this area rely on the water diversion dam on Bear Creek Gulch to provide some of their drinking water. But the dam, built about 1840 as a milldam, was a fish barrier for the Central California Coast steelhead, a federally listed threatened species. The area is also habitat for the San Francisco garter snake and California red-legged frog, and Bear Gulch Creek is a sensitive location for cultural resources. California Water Service (Cal Water) owns the dam and worked with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries to remove the weir and install a fish ladder. That required excavating 200 linear feet of stream channel to remove 765 cubic yards of sediment upstream of the fish ladder.

We provided preconstruction biological surveys, work education for biological and archaeological resources, and biological and archaeological monitoring during project construction. We prepared a Riparian Mitigation Plan to address site revegetation and a Tree Protection Plan to protect the coast redwood and maple trees from damage. We also provided QSD calculations to determine Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan requirements and qualified the project for a Notice of Intent (NOI) Waiver. The project required permits from the County of San Mateo, Town of Woodside, CDFW, RWQCB, USACE, USFWS, and NOAA Fisheries.