About Us
The Genesis of Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed
The founding of Friends, in 1994, was prompted by a report on the natural resources of the creek prepared by the Regional Water Quality Control Board two years earlier. Titled Corte Madera Watershed Resource Evaluation and Information Report, it describes conditions that impaired the creek, its riparian and aquatic habitat, and the fish and wildlife that used the creek. Among other problems, the report cites numerous pumps in the creek diverting water for landscaping, retaining walls that altered flow and removed natural vegetation, and debris dumped in the creek.
The report suggests that one way to improve the creek would be to recruit a group of Marin County environmental activists to advocate for the creek. A handful of people, including Barbara Salzman and Carol d’Alessio, took up the challenge, and Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed was formed. The Regional Board paid a fee to the County Assessor’s Office to obtain a mailing list of creek-side property owners and funded the publication of the first few issues of the Friends newsletter, Creek Chronicles. Friends was incorporated in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our Mission
Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed is dedicated to the improvement of the impaired conditions of the Corte Madera Creek and its tributaries, their riparian and aquatic habitat, and the fish and wildlife that depend on them. Recognizing that the creek and its natural resources are a product of their watershed, Friends stays active in environmental issues throughout the watershed.
Our Principal Goals
- Increase public awareness and knowledge of the watershed’s ecosystems
- Increase public awareness and knowledge of the watershed’s ecosystems
- Increase scientific understanding of the creeks and use this knowledge to improve creek conditions
- Improve water quality
- Ensure an adequate freshwater flow to restore and maintain clean, healthy creeks
- Preserve and restore wetlands
- Restore a diverse and self-sustaining population of indigenous fish and wildlife
- Promote diverse and self-sustaining native vegetation
Friends’ Activities
Public Services
Comment on policy and land use/ management issues such as proposed developments, vegetation management and proposed plans, regulations and ordinances.
Hands-on Projects
- Revegetation projects
- Participation in efforts to restore native plants or control invasive, non-native plants
- Creek clean-ups
Informational & Planning Efforts
- Contracting with engineers, hydrologists, biologists and archeologists to survey resources, identify issues, prepare design solutions, and obtain permits for project implementation
- Water quality monitoring in the watershed
- Cooperative development of a watershed plan
- Stream persistence monitoring
Get Involved
We need your help as we work towards our goals of making the Corte Madera Creek watershed a healthy and thriving environment!