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 GNA...
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