San Francisquito Creek and Wildlife in Danger

Martha B. Hopkins, author of Second Chances: A Travel Narrative of Southern Africa, has been a geologist, journalist, real estate broker, civic activist, and writer of non-fiction articles.
She lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona. More at Martha's Blog and Travel Notes

Our point in reprinting Martha B. Hopkins' Feburary 26, 1969 letter on it's 45th anniversary is that even with upstream diversion in as part of an ideal future 100-year flood solution, we must remain vigilant to the impacts the JPA's massive El Camino to Highway 101 baseline project. The project will be the primary focus of the February 27, 2014 SFCJPA Board meeting in the East Palo Alto City Council Chambers at 4:00 p.m. 

    The JPA's current baseline project "consists of constructing an inlet structure to the new Caltrans culvert under Highway 101, widening the channel in select locations, modifying or replacing the Newell, University, Pope-Chaucer, and Middlefield Road bridges and two private pedestrian bridges, and mitigating impacts associated with those project elements. Taken together, these elements would protect private property from a flood equal to the 1998 event (considered a 45-year flood), and constitute the baseline project because of the significant level of protection these actions would provide, and because any potential future projects to achieve 100-year protection would include these improvements."

Reprinted from an excellent 10 page history of creek issues in Martha B. Hopkins' 1975
A p/u* history of Menlo Park: (*partial and un-official)

Used copies of Martha's 1975 book can be found online. Her chapter on Water, The Creek and Water Management is reproduced below.

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