Rheem Creek Restoration Project to Decrease Flooding in Rollingwood Neighborhood Completed. Residents Already Experiencing Benefits
Contact:
Jeffrey Barich, Senior Civil Engineer, City of Richmond
(510) 412-2009, jeffrey_barich@ci.richmond.ca.us
Sarah Puckett, Central Valley Program Director, American Rivers
(415) 203-3766, spuckett@americnarivers.org
Juliana Gonzalez, Executive Director, The Watershed Project
(510) 224-4085, juliana@thewatershedproejct.org
Nathan Bickart, Director of Watershed Restoration Programs, Urban Tilth
(510)-232-0911. Nathan@urbantilth.org
City of Richmond, CA – The residents in the Rollingwood neighborhood near Richmond, California are finally getting some relief from flooding. The construction phase of the Rheem Creek Flood Risk Reduction Project concluded in October 2024, and replanting was completed in January 2025. Residents and project partners will celebrate the project’s completion on February 8, 2025, at a ribbon cutting ceremony in the neighborhood.
For over 20 years, the Rollingwood neighborhood in unincorporated west Contra Costa County has dealt with flooding from Rheem Creek. The project removed invasive species and excessive sediment, and planted native vegetation to improve creek habitat and sequester carbon to reduce greenhouse gases. The project also replaced failing storm drains, installed new fences, and installed an interpretive sign explaining the project. Residents are already seeing the benefits, as heavy precipitation during a recent atmospheric river storm system in November 2024 did not result in flooding in the Rollingwood neighborhood.
The City of Richmond has partnered with American Rivers, The Watershed Project, Urban Tilth, Contra Costa County, and Restoration Design Group since 2019. Prior to construction, the Rheem Creek channel was full of sediment from upstream and choked with non native and invasive vegetation. Storm drains flowed in reverse direction, flooding the streets. With extreme precipitation patterns caused by climate change, these risks have become heightened and needed to be addressed.
The City of Richmond received $2.2M in funding from the California Natural Resources Agency – through Prop 68 – for project implementation in October 2021. The City [1] is also contributing General Funds[2] to cover the additional costs of construction and maintenance. The completed project will improve watershed health and reduce flood risk for communities that live adjacent to the creek.
“For years, no one knew how or wanted to tackle this complex neighborhood flooding problem. The City of Richmond approached the Wildcat, San Pablo, and Rheem Creek Watershed Council and asked for help to find a solution. It took a team of effective and dedicated partners to come together to get this project to completion,” said Sarah Puckett, Central Valley Program Director with American Rivers.
“The restoration at Rheem Creek has been an important project for the residents who live in Rollingwood and for our city. Through working with our partners, we have been able to create a safer and more beautiful Rheem Creek and a roadmap for how to enhance urban green spaces in Richmond,” said Daniel Chavarria, Public Works Director with the City of Richmond.
Two local community nonprofit organizations worked on the project and employed local young adults. The Watershed Project served as the community outreach partner and landscape contractor and Urban Tilth grew the majority of the plants in their native plant nursery. These organizations worked together to plant over 500 native plants and 170 native trees. Following the project’s construction, both organizations will work with the City to care for the plants and site. The Watershed Project will conduct water quality and sediment monitoring activities to assess and measure the impact of restoration work on the watershed.
“The neighbors around Rheem Creek played a critical role in the project design, led cleanups, helped with plant maintenance, and engaged in discussions about stewarding the creek for years to come. After all their dedication, we are thrilled that they have finally experienced a rainy season without flooding in their streets and homes. We are also proud that the project employed local young people in the community, a model we hope represents the future of watershed restoration,” said Anne Bremirez with The Watershed Project.
“We’ve been so grateful to be a part of this incredible project team to relieve flooding in the Rollingwood neighborhood, to return Rheem Creek to a form that supports both the human and more-than-human communities here in Richmond. Our Watershed Restoration Field Crew, composed of young Richmond residents, grew and helped install the native plants for this project. It is particularly gratifying for this Crew to support restoration projects in our local neighborhood, and we can’t wait to see the site flourish in the coming years,” said Nathan Bickart with Urban Tilth.
Rheem Creek flows through a highly urbanized watershed before entering San Pablo Bay. This multi-benefit project will help protect this urban community from flooding as well as increase resilience to intensifying floods due to climate change.
The Rheem Creek project partners recognize and honor that all restoration work in the Rheem Creek watershed took place on occupied indigenous territory of Chochenyo-speaking Ohlone people who have continuously lived on this land since time immemorial.
