Citywide Creek Master Plan Background
The Santa Rosa Citywide Creek Master Plan, adopted by City Council on March 27, 2007, implements General Plan policy OSC-D-13 and provides guidelines for the care, management, restoration and enhancement of nearly ninety miles of creeks in Santa Rosa. The Master Plan is intended for use by City and County staff when planning creek enhancement and restoration activities, coordination and expansion of creekside trail systems, making broader land-use planning decisions concerning creeks, and in the development project approvals process for projects proposed adjacent to a waterway. The Master Plan along with proposed future updates to the Santa Rosa Design Guidelines supersedes the Santa Rosa Creek Master Plan and the Santa Rosa Waterways Plan. It is expected that the Citywide Creek Master Plan will be periodically updated and amended to reflect changing conditions and new opportunities that would increase the benefits that creeks provide the community.
The Master Plan consolidates previously adopted creek policies which are contained in numerous City documents that were adopted over a span of several decades. The Citywide Creek Master Plan presents these policies in a comprehensive and illustrative form which includes recommendations for habitat preservation, enhancement, restoration, and development of trails by each watershed. Project recommendations are based on community input, literature reviews, and extensive field research. Site-specific recommendations are presented in the text as well as on a set of Geographical Information System (GIS)- based maps, organized by watershed area. Detailed conceptual plans were developed for two locations, Upper Colgan Creek and Roseland Creek. Previously adopted concept plans incorporated into the Master Plan include Pierson Reach of Santa Rosa Creek and Lower Colgan Creek.
Implementation of the Master Plan will occur over several years, perhaps decades, and will be accomplished through partnerships with citizens, organizations, agencies, and the development community. Project funding will come primarily from grants or other funding sources designated for restoring fish and wildlife habitat and for improving creekside recreation, access, and transportation opportunities.
The Citywide Creek Master Plan is preceded by an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) as required in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Draft EIR went through a public review period from November 9, 2006 to January 9, 2007. A public hearing on the Draft EIR was conducted with the Planning Commission on January 11, 2007, as part of this public review period per Section 17-04.180 of the City’s Environmental Protection Code. Comments on the Draft EIR were incorporated into a Final Draft Plan and Final EIR (FEIR) which were brought to the Waterways Advisory Committee on February 22, Design Review Board on March 1, and the Planning Commission on March 8, 2007. The City Council certified the FEIR on March 27, 2007.
The Master Plan area includes some County of Sonoma land and Sonoma County Water Agency creeks. City staff continue to work with County of Sonoma and Water Agency staff to coordinate habitat restoration efforts and creekside trail system planning with the goal of bringing the Master Plan before the County Board of Supervisors/Water Agency Board of Directors for consideration at a later date.
History
In 1993, the Santa Rosa Creek Master Plan was adopted by City Council, the County of Sonoma, and the Sonoma County Water Agency. The Plan was developed with public input and participation, captured in the 1990 booklet Creek Dreams. Implementation of the Plan thus far has included the Prince Memorial Greenway project downtown and the Santa Rosa Creek Greenway project further downstream, creek trails associated with development projects, and community involvement through the creek stewardship program.
In 2000, the City Council directed the Waterways Advisory Committee and the City staff to create a “Master Plan” for all creeks and waterways throughout the City.
The 2020 General Plan, adopted by Council in 2002, includes Goal OSC-D-13:
"Develop a Citywide Creek Master Plan that will identify opportunities for natural habitat restoration, enhancement of fisheries, protection of health and safety along creek channels, open space preservation, multi-use transportation routes, and recreation. The Plan will include text with a citywide creek map with proposed restoration concepts and associated text with a description of each creek, and in some cases, specific reaches. The Waterways Advisory Committee will phase the Plan to most effectively preserve and enhance existing resources."
In 2002, the National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program awarded the City a 
technical assistance grant that helped City staff conduct an intensive public outreach campaign in 2003 to gather input for the Citywide Creek Master Plan. Over 250 people attended creek walks and watershed-specific public workshops, providing nearly 700 comments for the Master Plan. Creek Dreams: Expanding the Vision was developed as a record of this process. On July 27, 2004, the City Council, by motion, approved the publication of Creek Dreams, and directed staff to proceed with the development of the Master Plan, participate in staff-level creek restoration team meetings, coordinate with the Waterways Advisory Committee, and pursue grant funding to complete the Master Plan.
A Citywide Creek Master Plan Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was formed to provide additional technical guidance for the development of the Master Plan. Committee meeting minutes are listed below by date:
In 2005, the California Department of Transportation’s Community-Based Transportation Planning Program awarded $110,000 to the City to complete the Recreation, Access, and Transportation component of the Master Plan. Water quality-related creek restoration funds from the Storm Water Utility were used to complete additional components of the Master Plan.
A team of City and County staff, consultants, and project partners was assembled to prepare the Draft Citywide Creek Master Plan. Supporting studies included a Cultural Resources Assessment, Natural Resources Assessment, Hydrologic/Hydraulic Assessment, evaluation of existing creek policies, and a Recreation, Access, and Transportation study. A Program Environmental Impact Report for the Master Plan was prepared separately.