Wildcat Creek, Richmond

Wade In

Wildcat Creek’s proximity to San Pablo Creek as it flows through Richmond and San Pablo has been an historical flood problem for these low-income, high population density cities. As such, it has run the gamut of flood control methods, starting in the latter 20th century as the US Army Corps of Engineers attempted to fully enclose, or “straightjacket” the downtown run in a concrete culvert.  Community activists resisted the efforts and ultimately prevailed, resulting in a more natural approach to flood management along Wildcat Creek. Current management efforts are a success story of multifaceted community involvement through the sheer number of groups working to remove invasive species, revegetate, and maintain sediment levels. In 2010, the city of San Pablo received the funding necessary to remove the remaining concrete culverts along Wildcat’s run to the Bay. In more recent years, plans are evolving for adaptive shorelines and urban forests  around the creek.