FOC HISTORY

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Friends of Orinda Creeks (FOC) got its start back in the winter of 1992-93 at a watershed conference where an EBMUD ranger encouraged Cinda MacKinnon to start a creek group. The first meeting occurred in 1993 at the creek in Wagner Ranch Nature Area. We were a small group with no support or funding. John Fazel and Toris Jaeger were early volunteers Two or three of us churned out a monthly newsletter, arranged meetings, and wrote articles for the local papers promoting preservation and restoration and how to care for your creek. We also began a booth at the 4th of July celebrations.

The first creek clean-ups were run by FOC that year as well and we pulled an enormous amount of trash and weeds out of the water and off the creek banks. Orinda was facing large fines from the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) due to trash and water quality issues, so they were very willing to dispose of the refuse. We have run two clean-ups a year ever since. 

FOC was also instrumental in preserving the creeks within the Wilder development project. In the mid-1990s, one developer proposed razing the hills and filling the valleys to create a golf course. The consultant told the City that they could “restore” creeks on top of the fill. FOC stepped in with Save Open Space and brought in expert testimony, including Ann Riley, to affirm this would destroy Moraga and Brookside Creeks, not restore them. The golf course was denied and the creeks were preserved. Almost a decade later the next developer agreed to preserve more open space.

In 2001 we applied for and received a grant from EBMUD via a RWQCB program to revegetate two areas next to the downtown creek with native riparian species. The Rotary Club donated a greenhouse to the Nature Area and school kids and the Orinda Garden Club were involved in raising local riparian plants. Cinda and Toris Jaeger supervised the planting and cared for the plants in the ensuing seasons. FOC also carried out revegetation and weed removal along Moraga Creek at Del Rey School. (Sadly the school lost interest and the children have since been fenced out.) We also received and implemented a grant for a preliminary restoration plan for the downtown creek in 2002. 

In 2004 Cinda stepped down as president after over ten years and Maya Rappaport graciously took over the reins (*2004-2010); followed by Jim Luini (*2010-2016). Under Jim’s leadership, we became a 501c3 entity and finalized our bylaws. Bob Stoops became president in 2016. During this time, FOC continued to be active on many fronts with the addition of water quality monitoring spearheaded by Reg Barrett. Thanks to Brian Waters, a blockage of the small EBMUD dam at Bear Valley Road was removed, allowing trout to resume upstream migration. After several years of leadership, Bob asked Michael Bowen, our expert in permits and government affairs, to take over as our president. Meanwhile plant ecologist Barbara Leitner volunteered and completed a year-long tree survey.

Our downtown creek was concreted in 1958 but was destroyed in a storm only a few years later. It offered no public amenity and still provides inadequate flood control. The idea of restoration was a focus of FOC from the beginning. We approached the fledgling City of Orinda with the idea of removing the broken concrete and restoring the downtown creek. The engineer at that time however viewed the downtown creek more as drainage ditch. So our first efforts garnered little interest from the City, until we created a map in 1999 showing the extent of the damaged portion of the creek. That simple map is used by consultants and the City as a base map to this day.   

FOC has continued to lobby the City over the years to restore the downtown creek that continues to deteriorate. After almost three decades it was obvious that FOC was a viable and respected group and City polls show residents are strongly in favor of rehabilitating the creek. Hence the City of Orinda has included a modest restoration of San Pablo Creek along with a trail in their plans for the downtown Village. 

Tom MacKinnon began removing invasive vegetation and the others joined in to develop an informal trail that extends the entire 1400 feet of downtown channel. The trail is popular with dog walkers, hikers and employees enjoy their breaks on two benches next to the babbling brook.

FOC raised funds for a small-scale pilot project behind Vintage House. Flow West, our restoration firm, produced a professional plan at the “65% design” level. We met with assembly member R. Bauer-Kahn who secured a $125,000 state grant for the City of Orinda to conduct due diligence consistent with this creek restoration efforts. We discovered however the funds had gone into the general fund. After a public meeting, FOC managed to obtain $50,000 of the grant for the creek restoration. The rest of the funds for the project were raised privately. Seven agency permits were reviewed and approved, and the project finally commenced in the fall of 2022.

The water level was lowered, concrete removed and boulders, strategically placed.  The boulders serve to slow water flow but importantly form step pools for fish habitat. For more information, pictures and plans, click on SP Creek Restoration in the navigation menu above.

Currently the Board meets once a month and includes experts in the fields of hydrology, wildlife management, fisheries and water quality, along with legal and government agency expertise. For a list of ongoing activities, including creek cleanup dates, go to Events in the menu above.

*Dates are approx.