To: The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Approval and Authorization for Use of Flood Control Zone 3B Funds for "Giving Natives A Chance" Community Event.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Flood Control District), APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to utilize Flood Control Zone 3B funds to cover the expenses for the "Giving Natives A Chance" (GNAC) community event, scheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Clayton Valley Drain. This includes reimbursement for staff costs, essential expenses, and food and beverage costs, for a total estimated cost of $3,282. An itemization of the total cost estimate is provided in the attached “County and Non-County Sponsored Events Participation” form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The event will be paid for with 100% Flood Control Zone 3B Funds. Project No. 7520-6B8177
BACKGROUND:
The Flood Control District partnered with the Restoration Trust, a nonprofit organization, to develop a volunteer planting project. GNAC was established in 2013 and has become an annual event. Plants historically found in this creekside landscape were reintroduced and planted at varying densities to see which species and planting methods were most successful. The project focused on testing the use of native perennials to supplant nonnative annuals. All planted material were planted as plugs, which are relatively small, inexpensive, and easy to plant, making them especially useful for volunteer plantings. Native plant species include Santa Barbara sedge (Carex barbarae), field sedge (Carex pregracilis), and creeping wild rye (Leymus triticoides). These plants are superior to nonnatives for erosion control, fire suppression, and flood control channels.
The GNAC restoration project showcases the benefits of reestablishing native plant communities along local streams. Existing conditions are dominated by nonnative grasses, which are poorly suited for dry conditions, which persist over most of urbanized California. Maintenance costs are higher with nonnative plants, since they require mowing, grazing, and pesticide application. The Flood Control District uses GNAC as a creative way to lower maintenance costs and improve vegetation quality, while at the same time, engaging the public to raise awareness about the importance of flood control facilities and the inherent challenges in providing community flood protection.
In this partnership, the Restoration Trust initiates the study, provides project oversight, orders planting materials, supplies, and provides post-project monitoring. The Flood Control District provides the location, prepares the site, purchases the plant material, conducts volunteer outreach, and maintains the site after planting.
Since 2022, following a break for the COVID period, this event has annually engaged over 30 volunteers and facilitated the planting of approximately 5,000 native plant plugs each year.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval, the Flood Control District will be unable to host and organize the GNAC event.