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This video was shot at Blake Garden on November 2 during the first heavy rain of the season. It shows the impact of urban run-off on the daylighted part of the creek which runs through the Garden. The first shots are of water running down Rincon Road and into the culverts just outside the front gate. Next we go inside the garden to observe where and how the water comes in. There’s a shot of garden volunteer extrordinaire Natasha observing the water rushing in under the fence. She had just cleared out the blackberries around this area earlier in the week, and she is standing above a scour pool.

It’s a bit of a mystery (for now) about what happens to the water from here, as more berries still need to be cleared. Water also enters on to the property and shoots under the fence by the Head House.

From there it flows past the Tool shed and then under the access road. It then follows the southern edge of the garden property, spilling over 2 sandbag waterfalls, one of which is about 15 feet in height. The creek exits the garden through a “bear cage” on High Gate Road.

I’ve included Kristen Podalak’s sketch of the garden for reference:

BLAKE GARDEN -- Drawing by Kristen Podalak

This timelapse video was recorded on Saturday November 1, 2008 from a camera in the head house at Blake Garden. It shows a daylighted portion of El Cerrito Creek that is being impacted by rainwater runoff. This was the first substantial accumulation of the rainy season. A total of 2.5 inches of rain fell on Blake Garden.

Note: 3 surges occur at 11:21am, 1:56pm and just before dusk at 5:26pm. A white and red surveying stick marked with 1 foot increments was positioned on the creek bed. At surges level rises nearly one foot.

On Sunday Nov. 2, after the heavy rainfall, I documented the state of the creek in the proximity of the head house at Blake Garden.

These two timelapse films were taken last February nearing the end of the rainy season in the Bay area. A volunteer and a student set up the camera inside the greenhouse pointing out the window at a portion of El Cerrito Creek that is daylighted and passes through Blake Garden. As you can see from the videos, the creek is heavily impacted by urban runoff.  The water level rises and falls quickly during a rainstorm.