Urban Streams Restoration Program

Purpose

The Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP), established by Water Code section 7048 which declared that urban creek protection, restoration, and enhancement are best undertaken by local agencies and organizations with assistance from the State. The USRP funds projects and provides technical assistance to restore streams impacted by urban development to a more natural state.

Description

The USRP goals include: (1) protecting, enhancing, and restoring the natural, ecological value of streams; (2) preventing future property damage caused by flooding and bank erosion; (3) promoting community involvement, education, and riverine stewardship. A major objective of the USRP is to bring people together around projects that foster community relationships while ensuring the community’s interests are incorporated into the project’s planning, design, and outcomes. Local community-supported projects can support local economies, renew a community’s understanding of the value of streams, and make them a centerpiece for the community while expanding their contact with nature. USRP requires a public outreach and education component that is designed to encourage community participation in the planning process, public support for long-term management for a minimum 10-year timeframe, and to increase the public’s understanding of the project’s benefits to the environment and the sustainability of California's water resources. These activities may include but are not limited to: community organizing, resource interpretation, multilingual translation, natural science, community education, and communication-related to water, parks, climate change resiliency, and other outdoor pursuits. Eligible projects must be consistent with the goals of the USRP outlined in Water Code sections 7048 and Proposition 4. The USRP has set aside over 40 percent of the grant funds ($15 M) allocated to program to support projects that provide direct and meaningful benefits to Disadvantaged Communities, Severely Disadvantaged Communities and Vulnerable Populations. Eligible project types include, but are not limited to: o Bank stabilization and revegetation. o Recontouring of channels to improve or reestablish floodplain function and localized flood protection. o Installation of bioswales prior to water reaching urban streams. o Removing of culverts or storm drains to stabilize channels to achieve flood control objectives and daylighting of streams. o Purchase of lands or structures on lands to allow for floodplain reconnection and floodwater detention or wetlands/tidal zone restoration. The USRP may also fund planning-only grants for projects with an intended construction component. Concept proposals will be reviewed monthly. Applicants will be invited to submit quarterly full proposals following the concept review.