Stevens & Permanente Creeks Watershed Council
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Stevens & Permanente Creeks |
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2353 Venndale Ave. |
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San Jose, CA 95124 |
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Tel: (408) 356-8258 |
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We are holding an E-Waste Fundraiser on September 6th at First Babtist Church of Los Altos. We are accepting all electronics such as but not limited to: Computers, monitors, printers, mouse, keyboards, scanners, copiers, stereos, speakers, servers, LCDs, phone systems, PDAs, PS, switches, test equipment, cellphones, TVs, Cable, Wire, DVD Players, CD Players, MP3 Players, Game Systems, electronic test equipment, RAM, VGA, cameras, projectors, CPU, HDD, FDD, zipdrives , motherboards, memory, VHS, laptops, calculators, overhead projectors , battery chargers, power cords, microphones, cartridges, etc. Please bring your items over and help us fund our continued work. For more information please call (408) 356-8258 or email ed@spcwc.org |
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Thanks to a volunteer from the Loma Prieta Chapter of the Sierra Club we will soon have two short films about Stevens Creek. One will be focused on the value of streams and is intended to be an outreach peice for the Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition, you can view this on now at www.sccreeks.org, a second short film will talk about and promote our Watershed Council. For more information please call (408) 356-8258 or email ed@spcwc.org |
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Ever wonder what we are up to on a daily basis? Well now you can stay in touch with our activities by visiting our new council calendar. You can find it at: www.spcwc.org/calendar |
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Last month we loads of new photos to our site. Please visit often. Some photos are available at www.spcwc.org/photos/ |
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Thanks again to help from De Anza College we will be adding toxicity testing this year. We plan to have volunteers collect water samples and deliver them to the De Anza Biology Lab for analysis. We will be using the SWAMP water flea protocol. For more information please call (408) 356-8258 or email ed@spcwc.org |
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SPCWC to partner with De Anza College |
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The Stevens & Permanente Creeks Watershed Council (SPCWC) and the Biology Department of De Anza College are teaming up to collect water samples for analysis using IDEXX's family of coliform and E. coli equipment and perform analysis using Colilert and Entrolert. SPCWC and De Anza College are offering affinity groups interested in doing this kind of testing an opportunity towork with us at low or no cost as well. We will maintain the IDEXX equipment and if properly collected samples are brought to us we can provide the analysis. For more information contact Mondy Lariz at (408) 356-8258 or email ed@spcwc.org |
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Weed Mapping web pages added. |
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Our weedmaster Cyrus has worked up some great pages to highlight your weedmapping work.. Check them out here. |
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Council receives new funding for VMOP III |
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Last December we submitted a proposal to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for funding to continue our Volunteer Monitoring and Outreach Program. I am pleased to report that we were awarded the grant. THANK YOU NFWF for supporting our work. |
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The Volunteer Monitoring and Outreach Program End of Year Report, for Winter 2007 is now available here. The SPCWC VMOP program will continue for another year thanks to funding from the San Francisco Bay Salmonid Habitat Restoration Fund and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. We hope to obtain additional grants to allow us to continue and expand these efforts long into the future.
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On Wednesday July 25th we hosted a biology class from De Anza College at McClellan Ranch for a Watershed Education Day. Four stations supporting 10 students, each offered 50 minute sessionsas follows: Station 1 was yours truly presenting a power point presentation I titled "Bringing Back the Steelhead to Stevens Creek". Station 2 was manned by Dick Blaine who provided information on his bird box program and conducted a tour. Station 3 was manned by Cyrus Hiatt who demonstrated how we use a GPS unit to map 11 invasive plant species in our watershed. Station 4 was manned by Brett Calhoun who demonstrated how we conduct water quality testing with our YSI Multi-meter and turbidity meter. Bruce Heyer the Biology Instructor in charge of the 40 or so students who participated was very complimentary and appreciative of our efforts. Special thanks go to Dick Blaine, California Bluebird Recovery Program Director, Cyrus Hiatt, our GIS Intern, and Brett Calhoun of Santa Clara Valley Water District's Water Quality Unit. I know that Brett took time during a very busy week to help us out by manning the water quality station and sharing his extensive knowledge with these students. They were amazing for helping us on very short notice. I also want to acknowledge the excellent support given to us by the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society for this and many other times when we needed a place to meet. It was a great morning and I could never have done it without your support. |
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A new invader is threatening plants in the Bay Area. While Jananese Dodder hasn't been spotted in Santa Clara County yet, the Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition asks that you be on the lookout. The State Department of Food and Agriculture has made money available to counties to fight infestations of Japanese dodder. The plant is a yellowish, spaghetti-sized vine that can choke the life out of host plants. Dodder has been found in 120 sites throughout California, but 80 of those are in Sacramento County. It is not known how the invasive plant entered the state. To learn more please check this site: www.dodder.org |
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Stevens Creek Listed for Toxicity |
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In 2006 new listings for TMDL's for Stevens Creek were added. As previously stated the reservoir contains high levels of mercury but new is the listing for PCB's both in the reservoir and the stream below. A pdf with the details is available here. |
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The council says "THANKS A LOT!" to SCVURPPP |
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When our YSI multi-meter probe died we were facing a $1,000 expense to replace it and looking at a bare cupboard. Now thats to a long term loan from the county stormwater program we are back in business. Thanks to all who made this possible! |
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New genetics study confirms unique native steelhead in Stevens Creek! |
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According to a new study conducted by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) which will be available soon, a unique strain of steelhead trout are present in Stevens Creek and the other Santa Clara County streams such as the Guadalupe River, Coyote Creek. These fish are similar to but not identical to Central Coast ESU fish. The South Bay may contain a unique "Evolutionary Significant Unit" of our own? The most exciting data indicates that despite more than 100 years of exotic fish planting and the potential for interbreeding unique steelhead still inhabit the creek with very good genetic diversity and all age classes present. This news bodes well for potential restoration of our Santa Clara County Fish and while I am very excited about these findings the SCVWD warns that this information is still preliminary and may shake out somewhat differently when the final analysis is complete. |
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Moore Foundation protects Stevens Creek Watershed |
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A $5 million grant will help to permanently protect 240-acres in the upper watershed of Stevens Creek. The Jones/Becker parcel is comprised of open lands that connect to the region's network of 6,640 acres of permanently protected watershed lands and wildlife habitat. read more here |
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County issues fish warning for Stevens Creek |
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Santa Clara County has issued a warning for fish in Stevens Creek Reservoir. Read the news release here as well as the health advisory. |
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Council to survey Steelhead in Stevens Creek |
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A new project is underway to survey adult spawning steelhead in
Stevens Creek. |
E-Waste Fundraiser