[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 128 (Saturday, August 4, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Alameda 
Creek Alliance on its tenth anniversary. The Alameda Creek Alliance is 
a non-profit community watershed restoration group within California's 
13th congressional district. It was formed in 1997, after steelhead 
trout in the Central California Coast were listed as a threatened 
species. The organization has spent the last decade working to restore 
runs of steelhead trout and salmon to the Alameda Creek watershed, the 
largest tributary to southern San Francisco Bay.
  The Alliance is working with a consortium of a dozen local, State and 
Federal water supply and land management agencies on projects to 
restore native fish habitat in Alameda Creek. The efforts of the 
Alliance have resulted in the removal of four obsolete dams from 
Alameda Creek and the construction of two fish ladders to allow fish to 
migrate to suitable habitat upstream. Another dam removal and 
construction of four additional fish ladders are in the planning 
stages. These projects will make up to 20 miles of Alameda Creek 
accessible to ocean-run fish for the first time in over half a century.
  The Alameda Creek Alliance, which has grown to an organization of 
1,400 members, has organized over 70 local and regional conservation 
and fly-fishing groups in support of the Alameda Creek restoration. The 
Alliance educates the residents of Fremont, Union City, Newark, Sunol, 
Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore, California about watershed 
restoration and protection of endangered species and their habitats. 
The Alliance also trains volunteers for fish rescues, creek cleanups, 
creek monitoring, and assisting biologists in gathering scientific data 
essential to steelhead restoration. The Alameda Creek restoration 
efforts have been featured in over 200 newspaper articles over the past 
decade.
  I congratulate the Alameda Creek Alliance on their 10 years of 
exemplary service to our community and send best wishes for continued 
success.

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