Flood Control Channel
The lower 12 miles of Alameda Creek has been channelized
for flood control and development has occurred right up to the creek levees.
Artificial structures in the channel prevent migratory fish from reaching
suitable spawning and rearing habitat in upper Alameda Creek. Efforts
are underway to provide fish passage and improve fish habitat in the wide,
shallow, un-vegetated flood control channel.
Lower Rubber Dam Removal
The Alameda County Water District permanently removed their lowermost rubber
dam from the Alameda Creek flood control channel in 2009. The concrete foundation
was left in place for grade control stabilization and a low-flow fish ladder
was installed in a notch through the foundation to allow continuous fish
passage. Read the ACWD web
page on the rubber dam decommissioning.
BART Weir and Middle Rubber Dam Fish Ladder
The 12 foot high “BART weir” is the major barrier to fish migration
in lower Alameda Creek. This bank-to-bank sloping concrete apron was constructed
by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect piers for the railroad and BART
tracks from erosion. The Alameda County Flood Control District and Alameda
County Water District are building a fish ladder to allow fish to bypass both
the BART weir and adjacent inflatable rubber dam (#1) used for water supply.
Construction of the fish ladder
is underway and will be finished by the end of 2021. Read the ACWD
web page
on the fish ladder and view a You Tube virtual tour of the fish ladder.
Upper Rubber Dam Fish Ladder
The Alameda County Water District completed construction of a fish ladder in the upper flood control channel in 2018, which will allow steelhead to
migrate past the upper rubber dam (#3), located just below Mission Boulevard. Information about the project here
Fish Screens at ACWD Diversions
The Alameda County Water District is nearly done installing fish screens
on all their water diversion facilities in the flood control channel, to
protect out-migrating juvenile steelhead from being diverted into water
intakes. ACWD installed four fish screens in 2008 on a diversion pipeline
below Mission Boulevard, one fish screen in 2010 at the Bunting Pond diversion,
and a fish screen at the Kaiser Pond diversion in 2014; and is currently (2021) constructing fish screens at the Shinn Pond diversions.
Low-Flow Channel
The Alameda County Flood Control District is pursuing a project to improve fish passage and facilitate sediment transport in the Alameda Creek flood control channel below the BART weir. The project will optimize a low-flow channel and fish passgae at several grade control structures, improving fish passage for adult
and juvenile steelhead, while maintaining channel stability and flood carrying
capacity. Vegetation and buolders will be added to provide cover for migrating fish and improve wildlife habitat. Construction will be from 2022-2024.
Other Smaller Structures in the Flood Control
Channel
In 2007 the Union Sanitary District stabilized an eroding sewer pipe crossing
underneath Alameda Creek in the lower flood control channel, ensuring it
would not become a barrier to fish migration.
The Alameda County Flood Control District is planning to modify a series of low grade control structures in the lower flood control channel downstream of the BART weir, to ensure steelhead and salmon can migrate past them. Construction will be from 2022-2024.