Bay Area hikers and equestrians have more miles to explore after Valley Water helped expand public access to the Bear Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve in Los Gatos on June 7 by awarding a grant to have the Webb Creek Bridge built. The partner agencies celebrated the accomplishment last month with a ribbon-cutting event.
Valley Water awarded the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District a $149,500 grant to build the bridge and dispose of invasive plants species that can potentially cause harm to native plants and wildlife in the area. Additionally, Valley Water helped the Midpeninsula District improve drainage to minimize erosion and replace harmful habitats. Over 55 acres of forest, ponds, and creeks have been worked on to create a more beneficial watershed for wildlife and people.
With the construction of the new bridge, four miles of new hiking and equestrian trails have been opened to the public. Eventually, the bridge will serve to connect multiple multi-use trails between Lexington County Park and the Skyline-Summit area. The bridge will also provide access to another 15 miles of trails to hike on and use for equestrian activities.
Under Priority D3 of the Safe, Clean Water Program, Valley Water seeks partnerships to provide access to trails and open space. Valley Water has been dedicated to supplying grants to schools, nonprofits, public agencies, and districts all over Santa Clara County for the past seven years since voters approved the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, a special parcel tax.
To learn more about additional Valley Water grant opportunities, visit our grants and partnership page here.