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Woolsey Moves North Bay Projects Forward

6/16/05
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey’s support of North Bay projects helped move them forward in the legislative process. Local Marin and Sonoma County projects that will restore natural habitat, relieve traffic congestion and protect communities from seasonal flooding were included as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2005 (WRDA). Today’s approval of WRDA was in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
 
“This legislation supports projects in California’s 6th Congressional District to restore the environment that protects natural habitat and improves everyone’s quality of life,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey.
The Projects in Marin and Sonoma Counties include:
  • Prince Memorial Greenway Project, Santa Rosa: the City of Santa Rosa has restored a ¾ mile section of Santa Rosa Creek along the City’s Prince Memorial Greenway. The authorization would allow the City to complete the original project envisioned by the community in the late 1980s. In the 1960s, the Santa Rosa Creek was channelized, destroying the fish and wildlife habitat. This project will restore fish and wildlife habitat and maintain the flood carrying capacity of the channel.
  • Santa Venetia Levee Project, Marin County: the Santa Venetia levee were last repaired in 1983. Since then, they have gradually settled and have deteriorated to such a point that rehabilitation and restoration is imminently needed. In the absence of raising the elevation of the levee and restoring its integrity, tidal flooding could jeopardize hundreds of private residences. This authorization will allow the Army Corps to use the $1.1 million appropriated since FY02 for this project.
  • Bel Marin Keys Project: the Bel Marin Keys project is 1,600 acres of diked bayland that should be restored to tidal and seasonal wetlands and upland habitat. The project is significant both because of its restoration potential on San Pablo Bay and because it will continue with the Hamilton model of re-using dredge material from various San Francisco Bay area dredging projects, including the Port of Oakland.
  • Napa Salt Marsh Restoration: the project site, historically dominated by tidal salt marsh, was diked and converted to hayfields approximately 150 years ago. In the early 1950’s, the diked areas were converted to solar salt evaporation ponds. This project will restore a portion of diked baylands to tidal action to support endangered and special status species recovery, improve water quality, and restore greater ecological balance to the San Francisco Bay.
  • Larkspur Ferry Channel: the channel is operated by the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. It is used for ferry service between Marin County and San Francisco and is an important tool for traffic congestion along this corridor. The Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee has provided federal Operations & Maintenance funds for the Corps to dredge the main navigation channel. The Channel is expected to need dredging every three years.