The second phase of a three-phase project to improve habitat for salmon and other species in Lagunitas Creek is launching this month. This next phase follows a successful first season of construction that involved work at three of the 13 distinct sites identified for habitat enhancement. 

Phase 1B of the Lagunitas Creek Watershed Enhancement project picks up where Phase 1A left off, with work scheduled for five additional sites from August-November. During the construction window, the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area at the Shafter Bridge will be closed, and the Cross Marin Trail may be subject to temporary traffic control. Visitors are encouraged to heed all construction signage. 

The full project will cover 4,550 linear feet of channel from Peters Dam at Kent Lake to Samuel P. Taylor State Park, with work occurring on lands managed by Marin Water and California State Parks. In all, more than 270 logs and 11,000 tons of gravel will be added to Lagunitas Creek to create favorable habitat for salmon spawning and rearing by: 

• Breaking up shallow, homogenous stream habitat
• Creating deeper, slower pools for rearing
• Capturing and augmenting gravels for spawning
• Improving insect (fish food) production 

This work has been made possible thanks to grant funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). 

How installation works 

To carefully place gravel and secure log structures in the creek with minimal disturbance, the project team will temporarily reroute the flow of water around the worksites. Before implementing this measure, Marin Water’s fisheries biologist will relocate fish and other aquatic species outside the work area to protect them during construction. 

About Marin Water fisheries work 

In compliance with state water rules developed in 1995, Marin Water works to advance stewardship actions to enhance habitat for threatened and endangered aquatic species within Lagunitas Creek. This work is also important for ensuring the overall ecological health of the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, where more than half of our local water is sourced. The Lagunitas Creek Watershed Enhancement project is being completed in collaboration with State Parks and state and federal resources agencies to help improve spawning and rearing habitat in key portions of the 103-square-mile Lagunitas Creek Watershed, home to one of the largest remaining populations of coho salmon in Northern California.

In compliance with state water rules developed in 1995, Marin Water works to advance stewardship actions to enhance habitat for threatened and endangered aquatic species within Lagunitas Creek. This work is also important for ensuring the overall ecological health of the Mount Tamalpais Watershed, where more than half of our local water is sourced. 

Learn more about this important work by visiting marinwater.org/fisheries.