Belmont Creek restoration moves forward

The creek starts at Water Dog Lake and runs for about three miles through Belmont’s downtown underneath Sixth Avenue and El Camino Real to the San Carlos border. 

Currently, the eroded bank, sediment buildup and fallen trees have caused overflow even when heavy rain isn’t present, especially affecting the downstream part of the creek, where such debris tends to pile up. And especially during the rainy season, flooding has been a persistent problem on Old County and Industrial roads for water going downstream to the flatland areas. During the winter storms of late 2022 and early 2023, flooding in Belmont closed several Caltrain underpasses, including at Harbor Boulevard, where the Belmont Trailer Park saw flooding for extended periods. 

The restoration effort would comprise tree removal, including eucalyptus and other non-native species, and ensure trees such as live oaks are a primary component of the tree layer in the area. Erik Stromberg, lead consultant at Restoration Design Group, said during the May 1 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting that it’s virtually impossible to revert the site back to what it was a century ago, but there are still ways to bolster its native habitat. 

“What we can do is look at why the site looked the way it did 150 years ago … and apply that to what our site is today and where it’s headed in the future,” he said. “The native plants are adaptive, resilient and they also support a ton of invertebrate life that then supports other bird life.”

The effort would largely affect the nearby Twin Pines Park, part of which may be inaccessible or require detours during the construction phase, particularly certain bike routes. 

“While it is short term impacting Twin Pines, I do think that maybe there are ways in which  the flip of it is actually nice, which is that more parks will get used and spotlights for camp access or for other programming,” Parks and Recreation Commissioner Craig Michaels said.  

The work is largely funded through a $1 million state grant, with the city providing about $300,000 in funding, but staff are still hoping to secure more grant funds in the event costs exceed the projection. 

Construction is slated to begin in 2025. 

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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