Daylighting and restoring Alder and Maple Creeks will recreate natural habitat that will attract many species of birds to the Fort Bragg coast.Photo slide show credit Ron LeValley. 
|
Maple Creek, 2014
Alder Creek is entirely buried from the eastern edge of the mill site, behind the fire station, buried beneath concrete and asphalt flowing west and south into the mill pond.
We believe this picture shows seepage from Alder Creek, buried beneath these slabs left after demolition of old structures. Let's uncover these year round creeks and restore their historical pathway to the Pacific. We don't know what we will find until we begin the work. We may discover evidence of historic settlements.
|
|
Maple Creek flows out of culverts on the east border of the mill site before it disappears again to be piped under the asphalt to the mill pond.
Daylighting is the uncovering and returning of natural waterways to interaction with sunlight and air, and restoration of riparian areas to their complex state of interdependent plant, animal, and microbial life.
NHUDG's primary focus in 2015 is exploring the feasibility and potential of daylighting of Maple and Alder Creeks as they cross the G-P mill site. |
These natural watercourses are buried and probably flow through aging culverts to the lowland area where our new North and South Coastal Trails will eventually be connected.
What is the next phase in the daylighting initiative? In partnership, NHUDG and Wynn Coastal Planning have recently completed a “road map” which has as its goal the mounting of an in-depth study of the feasibility and benefits of daylighting on the mill site property. |
Water, water everywhere. Well, lot's of water on the Fort Bragg Headlands - the former mill site. March 2014
Image courtesy of MCHS - Mendocino Coast Historical Society.
Zoom in from the above. Original image courtesy of MCHS.
For a close look at the area that our community should daylight, check out the video made for NHUDG by John Birchard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avi7gW-CjMo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avi7gW-CjMo