Water Education Foundation
This is just one post in the Northern California Category
Click here to view all posts

Creekside residents in Novato desperate for solution to erosion as storm season wipes out property

Posted by: Maven on June 23, 2009 at 7:29 am

From the Marin Independent Journal:

During the rainy season, Novato Creek has a voracious appetite, taking Volkswagen-sized bites out of people’s backyards in the swirling aftermath of each storm. Gerry and Glenna Godwin have lost one-third of their backyard, including a 13.2-ton bay tree, to the creek off Marion Court. Cracks in their patio – ominous signs of further erosion – creep within four feet of their house.

A mile away, Mary Page’s backyard near Miwok Park is hanging precariously over the now-calm creek waters. In the winter, it’s like a punching bag for a chocolate-brown heavyweight champion that could be called the Novato River, complete with whitecaps.

Who is responsible for preventing such erosion? In some cases, it’s Marin County and its flood control district. In others, it is the city’s public works department. But most of the time, in a legal sense, it’s the property owners fending for themselves.

“I’m at a standstill because financially I can’t afford to do anything,” Page said. “It has grown to be a much bigger project than it was originally. I’m fed up.”

Read more from the Marin Independent Journal by clicking here.

June 23, 2009 · Filed Under Flood Control/Stormwater, Northern California

Comments

Leave a Reply