This project provides grants and partnerships for cleanup, education, outreach and watershed stewardship activities. Funding also allows Valley Water to continue supporting volunteer cleanup activities such as National River Cleanup Day, California Coastal Cleanup Day, the Great American Pick Up, and Adopt-A-Creek, as well as Creek Connections Action Group and creekwise education.
Grants and partnerships
Grant applications for the FY2021 Support Volunteer Cleanup Efforts and Education grant program closed on December 1, 2020.
In November of 2020, Santa Clara County voters approved the renewal of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program parcel tax. This renewal continues Valley Water community grants and partnerships and consolidates the funding opportunities under a newly created Priority F - Support Public Health and Public Safety for Our Community. More information will be available in FY 2022 about the expanded funding, eligibility, and criteria.
For information, visit https://www.valleywater.org/grants.
Sign up to receive notifications for all of the Valley Water’s upcoming grant cycles: [email protected]
Grants
On February 23, 2021, the Board of Directors approved four FY 2021 B3 Pollution Prevention grant applications for a total of $188,558.
- Bay Area Older Adults - Watershed Waste Reduction Program ($40,985)
- Grassroots Ecology - Coyote/Stevens Creek Watershed Community Engagement Project ($49,980)
- IISME, dba Ignited - Santa Clara Water Weeks Project ($47,593)
- Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition - Wheels and Waterways Project ($50,000)
Partnerships
Volunteer cleanup events
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National River Cleanup Day – This year, cleaning our creeks for National River Cleanup will start at our front doors. Trash in the streets will become creek and ocean pollution. Therefore, cleaning neighborhoods and local natural areas provides a valuable service to the creeks. The event will take place every Saturday in May from 9am to noon. Volunteers will be able to register on Eventbrite to receive safety guidelines, recycling and hazardous waste information, and sign up to pick up supplies such as trash bags, litter sticks, and gloves at a variety of locations throughout the County. We hope to see you all at least one Saturday this May!
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Coastal Cleanup Day - In 2020, the community helped creeks in a socially-distanced cleanup in their own neighborhoods and local natural areas. This past September, we had 816 volunteers pick up more than 18,942 pounds of trash along 331 miles of creeks and neighborhoods in Santa Clara Valley
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Adopt-A-Creek (Year Round) - FREE! Sign up to make a difference in your local creeks now. We provide the permits, supplies, and even assist you in disposing of the trash! Minimum requirement is two cleanups per year. To become an Adopt-A-Creek partner or for more information, visit https://www.valleywater.org/learning-center/adopt-a-creek
The Power of Volunteers
The Zero Litter Initiative, a subcommittee of the Santa Clara Basin Watershed Management Initiative, gathered volunteer cleanup data over the course of 13 years to highlight the power and collective efforts of volunteers. The fact sheet was funded by the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP). The data used to create the information were obtained from Valley Water and other SCVURPPP member agencies.
Updated April 2021
For more information:
Grant opportunity
Grants and partnerships
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Kristen Yasukawa, (408) 630-2876
Volunteer cleanup events
Grant Projects
The following projects received grant funding from Project B7.
| Grantee | Project Name | Status | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acterra Stewardship | Acterra Lower Peninsula Healthy Creeks Project | Complete | Final Report |
| Clean Water Fund | ReThink Disposable: Preventing Riparian Trash at the Source | Complete | |
| Save the Bay | Clean Bay Project | Complete | Final Report |
| Girl Scouts of Northern California | Girl Scouts Go Green in SC County | Complete | |
| City of Sunnyvale | Schools Goin' Green | Complete | |
| Environmental Volunteers | Education for Clean Water | Complete | |
| San Jose Parks Foundation | Trash Free Coyote Creek education and Outreach Project |
Complete |
|
|
Guadalupe River Park Conservancy |
Guadalupe Watershed Education Campaign |
New |
|
|
Breathe California of the Bay Area |
Youth for a Cool Earth (Y4CE) |
New |
|
|
Gilroy Compassion Center |
South County Creeks Team |
New |
|
|
City of Campbell |
Los Gatos Creek Trail Interpretive Signage and Receptacle Expansion |
New |
|
|
South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition |
Friends of Coyote Creek Watershed North Coyote Creek Stewardship Project |
New |
|
|
Girl Scouts of Northern California |
Girls Scouts Go Green in Santa Clara County |
New |
|
|
Grassroots Ecology |
Stevens Creek Monitoring & Education Project |
New |
|
|
Save the Bay |
Zero Trash Campaign |
New |
|
|
South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition |
Los Gatos Creek TEAM 222 |
New |
Updated May 2018
Key Performance Indicator for the Safe, Clean Water Program
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Provide 7 grant cycles and 3 partnerships that follow pre-established competitive criteria related to cleanups, education and outreach, and stewardship activities.
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Fund Valley Water support of annual National River Cleanup Day, California Coastal Cleanup Day, the Great American Pick Up, and fund the Adopt-A-Creek Program.
Benefits
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Reduces contaminants entering our waterways and groundwater
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Engages community and supports watershed stewardship
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Leverages volunteer community resources for efficient use of funds
Geographic Area of Benefit
Countywide
About the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program
In November 2012 the voters of Santa Clara County overwhelmingly approved Measure B, the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, as a countywide special parcel tax for 15 years with a sunset date of June 30, 2028. This Program replaced the Clean, Safe Creeks and Natural Flood Protection Plan, which voters approved in November 2000.
The Safe, Clean Water Program was developed with input from more than 16,000 residents and stakeholders and was created to match the community’s needs and values. The voters of Santa Clara County identified five priorities:
Priority A: Ensure a Safe, Reliable Water Supply
Priority B: Reduce Toxins, Hazards and Contaminants in our Waterways
Priority C: Protect our Water Supply from Earthquakes and Natural Disasters
Priority D: Restore Wildlife Habitat and Provide Open Space
Priority E: Provide Flood Protection to Homes, Businesses, Schools and Highways
Other: Six projects from the Clean, Safe, Creeks Plan have been carried forward into the Safe, Clean Water Program.
Each year, Valley Water prepares a report providing a progress update for each of these Program priorities, along with fiscal year accomplishments.
To ensure transparency and accountability to the voters, the ballot measure also created an Independent Monitoring Committee, appointed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors. The Independent Monitoring Committee annually reviews the Program’s progress to ensure the outcomes are achieved in a cost-efficient manner and reports its findings to the Board.
In addition, the Program requires three independent audits, the first of which was conducted in FY 2017.