Restored creek channel with a fish ladder for local trout

Cordonices Creek straddles the border between Berkeley and Albany.  Flowing downward from the Berkeley Hills into the Bay, the creek is a prominent fixture of the “flatlands” landscape of the East Bay.  You can see it’s meanders and curves which were once confined to a concrete lined linear flood control channel.  Now, Cordonices is a creek again.

Ohlone interpretive sign

Restoration Design Group designed the restoration of this important watercourse.  Notably, it still provides habitat for native trout as well as native wetland plants and birds.  It also provides an important opportunity for present-day humans to make this home.  For us to rediscover our critical relationship to the earth.  This requires lots of splashing and playtime (usually by kids, but adults are allowed), and a few interpretive panels to guide our journey into understanding how important ecology is for everyone’s health and happiness.

Here are some great aerial photos of this site as it progresses through the restoration process.  My understanding is that these were taken with a kite camera – Very Cool!  Here’s my shot from the bridge showing the current condition of the third phase of this project.

More shots from this incredible project are below.  I feel lucky to be helping celebrate great restoration projects like this through photography.

Father and child stopping to read about the creek

Handmade fence-like structures built for this site from native material

Kids enjoying the newly restored creek

Bikeway and benches are now available for public use

Yes, this is the "urban" East Bay.