» Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed

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Sais footbridge over San Anselmo Creek

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Drake High School students revegetate the bank of Sleepy Hollow Creek in San Anselmo

Valley View

Looking east from Fairfax to San Anselmo

Lying in the rugged Coast Range some twelve miles north of San Francisco, the 28-square-mile Corte Madera Creek watershed drains southeasterly into the shallow waters of San Francisco Bay. The valley's communities of Fairfax, Sleepy Hollow, San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield, Greenbrae, Larkspur and Corte Madera – the older ones dating back 120 years – together have a population of 55,000, most densely distributed on the valley floor, and thinning out as the elevation increases towards largely publicly-owned ridge land that reaches a height of 2571 feet at the East Peak of Mount Tamalpais.

Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, was founded in 1995 to protect the remaining natural ecosystems of the area, especially those relating to urbanized creeks and wetlands, and where possible to increase the diversity of these ecosystems. We recognize that all activities – human and natural – within a watershed are interconnected, so that a wide range of issues must be addressed to meet our goals.

Our principal goals are to:

Increase public awareness and knowledge of our watersheds' ecosystems

Increase scientific understanding of the creeks and use this knowledge to improve creek conditions

Improve water quality

Assure an adequate freshwater flow to restore and maintain clean, healthy creeks

Preserve and restore our wetlands

Restore a diverse and self-sustaining populations of indigenous fish and wildlife

Promote diverse and self-sustaining native wetland, riparian and upland vegetation

Friends encourages residents and businesses to adopt creek-friendly practices, and works with local governments and public agencies to advocate for policies that benefit natural ecosystems. Hands-on activities are focused on creek clean-ups and habitat enhancement projects on public property.

Friends' Activities

Public Services

Publication of the newsletter Creek Chronicles, and creek-care brochures

Speakers program for the general public

Educational walks in the watershed, led by specialists

Advising and referring residents regarding problems on their creek

Commenting upon proposed developments affecting creeks

Notifying public agencies of specific problems

Hands-on Projects

Revegetation projects on public land

Creek clean-ups

Informational and Planning Programs

Cooperative development of a creek-care plan

General survey of creek conditions, including erosion, storm drains, vegetation and wildlife habitat

Photographic survey of San Anselmo Creek

Water quality monitoring by schools in the watershed

CreekWatchers regularly visit assigned sections of our creeks and report pollutants and unusual conditions observed, and note wildlife

Contracting with specialists in hydrology, fisheries and others to assess our creeks' problems and identify solutions

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Articles relating to topics covered on this page may be found in Creek News.

Photo in logo: San Anselmo and Mount Tamalpais.

All use of text and photographs for other than personal purposes is prohibited without permission from Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed.

All photographs © Charles Kennard unless otherwise credited.

Web site design by Karen Peterson, San Anselmo.