Marin County officials completed a major restoration project October 8 that transforms a concrete flood-control channel into wetland habitat and public recreation space along Corte Madera Creek in Kentfield.
The Lower College of Marin Restoration Project removed portions of concrete channel walls constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s and 1970s, restoring the adjacent creek bank and wetlands. The improvements create more space for creek flows, providing greater adaptation for sea-level rise, and restore wildlife habitat, the county said.
The project also includes native revegetation and improvements to the public area along the Corte Madera pathway south of Stadium Way, adding seating, landscaping, and other amenities. The approximately $3.8 million investment in design and construction was supported by funding from the California Coastal Conservancy ($1.86 million), American Rescue Plan Act funds for sea level rise ($750,000), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program ($555,000), the California Department of Water Resources Proposition 1E funds ($515,000), and a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant ($156,000) for native planting and revegetation.
Supervisor Dennis Rodoni said the restoration "creates valuable habitat, greater resilience against sea-level rise, and provides a more natural setting for the community to enjoy." Community group Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed played a significant role in advancing the project. President Sandra Guldman called it "feasible, fundable, and scalable."