Codornices Creek is a perennial stream that flows from the headwaters in the Berkeley Hills west to the San Francisco Bay. The creek is an important fish run, providing habitat for native Steelhead Trout, as it is one of the most open creek tributaries to the San Francisco Bay. The Codornices Watershed encompasses about 700 acres, extending east to the ridge of the Berkeley Hills. Thirty acres (or about 4%) of the watershed are within Albany.

East of Highway 80, Codornices Creek forms the boundary between the cities of Berkeley and Albany.

History

Albany’s five creeks are an important feature of the City’s natural landscape. Planning efforts for creek restoration and habitat repair in Albany date to the 1990’s. In 1998, Albany completed a Watershed Management Plan, which identified opportunities for creek restoration in Albany.

Concurrent with the development of this Management Plan, the City of Albany, the City of Berkeley, and the University of California began planning for the multi-faceted restoration of Lower Codornices Creek. This creek segment runs from San Pablo Ave west to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and flows through land belonging to all three agencies. 

In 2001, the Lower Codornices Creek Improvement Plan was prepared, which included proposed methods for habitat restoration and construction of trail along this reach of the creek. In 2004, Albany, Berkeley and the UC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which would move forward implementation of improvement measures and establish ongoing maintenance practices along Lower Codornices Creek. 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Agreement (2004)
Attachment 1 - Project Plan and Project Survey
Attachment 2 - Right to Access Agreements to Permit Soils Analysis & Related Testing
Attachment 3 - Right to Access Agreements for Construction Access
Attachment 4 - Draft Conservation and Maintenance Easement
Attachment 5 - Public Access Easement
Attachment 6 - Creek Management Plan
Attachment 7 - Trail Maintenance Activities
Attachment 8 - Letter regarding use of funds for Creek Account
Addendum 1 - License and Easement Agreement for Modifications to USPS Parking Lot Facilities (2006)
Addendum 2 - Albany/Berkeley Letter Confirming Creek Improvement Project as Part of MOU (2010)
Addendum 3 - Albany/UC Letter Confirming Creek Improvement Project as Part of MOU (2011)

Three phases of the Lower Codornices Creek Restoration Project have been completed to date, from 8th Street downstream to the railroad tracks, including a bicycle-pedestrian shared use trail. Restoration projects provide recreational, educational and stewardship opportunities, as well as restoring habitat to native Steelhead Trout, and improving community resilience by reducing exposure to flooding at UC Village student housing. In 2010, the first phases of restoration of Codornices Creek won the ABAG Growing Smarter Together Award in the category of “Protecting and Preserving the Environment” for advancing smart or “focused” growth in the Bay Area.

Future Phases 4 and 5 of the Lower Codornices Creek Restoration Project address the remaining unrestored sections of the creek, from San Pablo Avenue to 8^th Street. City staff worked with Restoration Design Group (RDG) to develop plans for Phase 4, which includes a bicycle and pedestrian shared-use path from 8th to 10th Streets, a crossing at 8th street to link to the Phase 3 project, and minor vegetation improvements.

Draft plans were reviewed by staff at UC Berkeley and the cities of Albany and Berkeley, key stakeholders, and the Transportation Commission, the Parks & Recreation Commission, and City Council. Plans were approved and the project was submitted for grant funding in early 2021. The project was approved for funding as part of the Alameda County Transportation Commission’s 2022 Capital Investment Plan, and is the recipient of $826,000 in Measure B and TFCA grant funding. Matching funds for the grant are provided from local Measure R funding for creek restoration. The Phase 4 project is currently fully funded and is estimated for construction in 2022/2023 as per the terms of the grant funding.

The conceptual plan for Phase 5, between San Pablo and 10^th Street, includes removal of a culvert underneath 10^th Street, construction of a pedestrian bridge to maintain pedestrian and bicycle access from Albany to Berkeley on 10^th Street, and a full ecological creek restoration project in the creek channel. The planning effort required for the Phase 5 project was awarded a grant by the Coastal Conservancy and is currently in process. 

(Note: This photo was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic)

Codornices Creek Maintenance

Staff from Albany, Berkeley, and UC Berkeley meet on a regular basis to review and implement the maintenance requirements of the MOU. These requirements include creek monitoring, trail and landscape maintenance, and culvert and bridge maintenance. The MOU also established a Creek Maintenance Account, administered by Albany, usage of which is restricted to maintenance activities such as vegetation management, improving signage, and monitoring ecological activity. Per the MOU, all three agencies are assigned maintenance responsibilities and contribute to the Creek Maintenance Account.

2023 Maintenance Tasks & Budget

The following is a summary of past and proposed expenditures and Creek Account balance. This information will be updated annually pending completion of the City's financial audit.

Creek Account Balance (as of June 30, 2023): $307,347

 
Expenditure Detail by FY