The Mt. Diablo Creek watershed drains the northwest side of Mt. Diablo and includes the cities of Clayton, Clyde, and part of Concord in central Contra Costa county, California. This watershed drains 37 square miles of rangeland, farmland, and urban land including the soon-to-close Concord Naval Weapons Station. Mt. Diablo Creek flows for approximately 18 river miles from its headwaters on Mt. Diablo to its mouth at Hastings Slough on the south shore of the Suisun Bay and is an important ecological link between the Diablo Range and the Suisun Bay.
The Department of Defense will close and transfer 5200 acres of the Concord Naval Weapons Station to the City of Concord for redevelopment. This transfer of land provides an opportunity to protect and restore critical ecological functions in this once steelhead-bearing watershed. For the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District, NHI has completed a watershed inventory quantifying and identifying key hydrological, biological, and ecological functions. The data and recommendations NHI produced have been employed in the CCRCD's watershed planning process and the City of Concord's Naval Station Re-use planning process.
NHI is working with state and local agencies to pursue several opportunities to improve fish passage for steelhead trout, improve riparian conditions, and restore the watershed.
Contact: Carson Cox
