Friends of Sausal Creek
Sewer Line Beside Sausal Creek to Be Replaced

by Anne Hayes

Two representatives from the Underground Design section of the Oakland Public Works Agency attended the Friends of Sausal Creek meeting in January, bringing news of their plans to replace part of the sewer line that runs beside Sausal Creek. Between the Leimert Bridge and the foot of Dimond Park, about 3,700 feet of line will be upgraded; the 21-inch clay or concrete pipe that is currently in use will be replaced with either a 21-inch or a 24-inch plastic pipe. These improvements, which are part of an 11-year citywide project, will begin in April and are slated to take 60 days. Any streamside revegetation necessitated by the project will take place after that, when all the digging is done.

The contractor hired by the city to do the job will employ a "trenchless" technology to ensure that "excavation within Dimond Park will be at a minimum and only where necessary." Holes will have to be dug at manholes down to the sewer line, which is as deep as 20 feet in some places. The new pipe will be soldered in appropriate lengths above ground and then installed in one continuous line from one manhole to the next. The new pipe will be shoved through the old one, breaking it up as it is pushed along. The contents of the old pipe, of course, must continue to flow sewage will be routed into a temporary bypass pipeline.

The creek, too, "will be diverted whenever equipment needs to cross," according to a handout distributed at the meeting. State law requires that water quality be entirely preserved, so no machinery can pass through the creek (though it will pass through the creekbed) and no permanent changes may be made. All procedures will be monitored by both city and state inspectors. Regulations require that any vegetation below the high-water mark that is removed must be replaced; in fact, any disturbance at all must be repaired. Engineers anticipate that about 5,000 square feet of land will be affected altogether, and that is where the Friends come in. Under the guidance of a landscape contractor hired by the city, the FOSC will take care of revegetating any disturbed sites, replacing lost habitat with native plants or seeds collected elsewhere in the watershed. The project also offers the opportunity to remove nonnative vegetation, and both Mr. Ward and Mr. Chan, who spoke at the meeting, have assured the Friends that they want to work with the group every step of the way. Their presence at our monthly meeting was sure evidence of that.

Questions regarding the project can be directed to Carlton Chan of the City of Oakland, at 238-3437. The next Friends of Sausal Creek meeting will be Wednesday, March 17, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Dimond Library. The next workday is Saturday, March 20, from 9 a.m. to noon in Dimond Park. For more information, call Anne Hayes of the Aquatic Outreach Institute at 231-9566.