Notes from the Field: Sunol Valley Fish Passage Project
The Alameda Creek watershed covers an area of nearly 700 square miles and is populated by over 200,000 people. For decades, migrating fish in Alameda Creek were blocked by a gas pipeline and concrete barrier that crossed the creek in Sunol Valley. Although high flows during wet winters occasionally allowed fish to pass, the structure prevented reliable migration for most of the year. By relocating the pipeline approximately 100 feet downstream and burying it 20 feet beneath the creek bed, fish, regardless of species or season, can now move freely upstream for the first time in generations.
