FAQs

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          The headwaters of San Pablo Creek are in the Glorietta area.  It is joined by tributaries (the largest being Lauterwasser Creek) as it flows through Orinda, to San Pablo Reservoir and eventually out to the Bay.  Those going about their daily business in downtown Orinda are not likely to be aware of the creek because it enters a concrete culvert at Camino Encinas and flows under Moraga Way and Highway 24.  It emerges on the Orinda Village side behind the Chevron station and from there it flows above ground behind Orinda Way businesses and past the post office for approximately 1400 feet.  This is the section prime for restoration though currently one must visit the rear parking lots of businesses along Orinda Way and peer through cyclone fences in order to see it.  The creek then goes underground again under the Safeway parking lot and, except for a brief peek behind Phairs (Ave. de Orinda), is not visible until it reemerges under the old bridge over Orinda Way near Camino Pablo.  Click Here for a map of San Pablo Creeks and its major tributaries.

           Typically, creek restoration reestablishes natural creek hydrologic function and habitat enhancement along with traditional engineering goals of flood control and bank stabilization.  Restoration activities may range from removal of concrete, which inhibits natural stream function, to installation of green infrastructure such as permeable paving and swales to retard runoff.  Channel alterations  (sinuosity and slope) can aid the dissipation of energy and increase volume for high flows. Imagine a stream full of fish and amphibians, the stream winding through an ecosystem, meandering naturally.  Click here to read Wikipedia's article on Creek restoration.

          San Pablo Creek runs adjacent to the downtown Orinda village between Chevron and Safeway. As a year-round creek it provides a natural opportunity to turn an unsightly, degraded water way into a significant community amenity by restoring the creek’s former beauty and ecological function.

          By restoring the creek and integrating it with a revitalized downtown, it will draw patrons to the area and encourage residents to interact with local businesses and nature. Employing San Pablo Creek to establish a connection between the surrounding recreational trails and downtown will impart the healthy lifestyle that appeals to residents and visitors to our community. 

          Businesses will embrace the creek instead of (literally) turning their backs on it: imagine a busy café beside a sparkling brook and a natural corridor connecting Bart, the Community Center and hiking trails.

           Yes! In October 2001 the Orinda City Counil voted to approve the Preliminary Restoration Plan.  Moreover, Section 2.1 (Development) of the City General Plan states: “Encourage property owners to make more intensive use of the San Pablo Creek sides of buildings...with public access parallel to the creek. ” and ”enhance and preserve San Pablo Creek with landscaping, pathways and other pedestrian amenities, consistent with its primary purpose as flood control.” In addition, City has assigned staff to work with Friends of Orinda Creeks on Restoration and its integration with the Downtown Revitalization Plan.

           Yes!  Based on stakeholder interviews conducted in 2017, ULI - an outside consulting firm tasked with providing expert, multidiscipline advice and recommendations to Orinda regarding the future of Downtown Orinda – uncovered strong community interest in integrating San Pablo Creek into the planning of downtown Orinda and “converting the creek into a usable community asset.” ULI went on to say: “San Pablo Creek represents a huge opportunity for downtown.”