Contra Costa County
Some of the most environmentally significant land in the City of Hercules is located along and adjacent to the San Pablo Bay. The lower reaches of both the Pinole and Refugio Creeks empty into the Bay, feeding sensitive wetlands that are scattered throughout the Hercules Waterfront and Central Hercules Districts. Protecting these wetlands and waterways could provide critical habitat for species such as the salt marsh harvest mouse, the burrowing owl, the white tailed kite and the northern harrier, and act as a filtering system for storm water runoff from many acres of development along both regional watersheds. Additionally, significant new habitat could be connected hydrologically to the Bay through preservation of these wetland areas, reducing the distance between refuges and increasing the total biomass support capacity of the Bay. The Waterfront area provides an opportunity to enhance the East Bay Regional Parks Bay Trail through creation of boardwalks along the Chelsea Wetlands that connect to the Bay Trail.
In November 2008, Common Sense California awarded the City of Hercules a grant to help the city put together a citizen’s engagement project for the Refugio Creek Watershed Vision Plan. Preservation of the Central Hercules and Waterfront District open spaces will ensure that while development is occurring, environmental resources are woven into the fabric of the community as an integral asset.
For more information about this area, please contact:
Stephen Lawton
City of Hercules
slawton@ci.hercules.ca.us
(510) 799-8233
http://www.ci.hercules.ca.us/
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