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The Coyote Creek Native Ecosystem Enhancement Tool (CCNEET) is an online decision-support tool to identify opportunities to improve ecological conditions. CCNEET was inspired by the need for a watershed approach to environmental resource management. Available ecological and environmental information is synthesized by objectives, management questions, and enhancement actions to identify and justify potential habitat improvements along the creek corridor. The overarching goal of CCNEET is to help coordinate habitat conservation and enhancement along so that multiple projects and limited funding can result in meaningful ecological improvement.
To date, development of CCNEET has been funded by several Valley Water programs and projects. Valley Water, and these programs and projects in particular, all benefit greatly from a platform that facilitates coordination across Valley Water programs as well as partner organizations. Efficient and effective planning and implementation by Valley Water, resource agencies, and land managers requires identifying opportunities, and coordinating efforts for maximum ecological benefits.
The reporting materials below provide user support for CCNEET. Through several sections, it will provide an overview of the motivation and goals of CCNEET, establish the physical and ecological setting through conceptual model diagrams, describe the science framework, physical parameters, and synthesis process used to develop the tool, provide a tool user guide, and present a glossary of terms and list of key data sources and information used.
Suggested Tool Citations:
California Wetlands Monitoring Workgroup (CWMW). EcoAtlas. Accessed [date retrieved]. https://www.ecoatlas.org.
Valley Water and San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). Coyote Creek Native Ecosystem Enhancement Tool (CCNEET). Accessed [date retrieved]. https://neet.ecoatlas.org/.
CCNEET, a data-driven planning tool, serves the broad goal of cross-program coordination to improve the ecological condition of Coyote Creek downstream of Anderson Dam. More specifically, the purpose of CCNEET is to:
CCNEET is intended to facilitate more efficient and effective selection, and establishment of enhancement projects within the Coyote Creek corridor that will encourage natural processes and functions, enhance habitat value, and improve ecological integrity and resilience. CCNEET is a planning-level tool, and as such, all opportunity areas and enhancement actions require more detailed investigations to determine their feasibility. The core CCNEET objectives are to:
The interactive online tool identifies spatially explicit, physical process, and ecologically based opportunities for improving riparian, wetland, and aquatic habitat conditions. Opportunity areas can be searched and filtered based on one or many locations, CCNEET objectives, management questions, and enhancement actions.
CCNEET encompasses a 28-mile (~45 kilometers) length of the Coyote Creek mainstem between Montague Expressway and Anderson Dam, and extending laterally approximately 650 feet (200 meters) beyond riparian vegetation. The study area is divided into six reaches based on geomorphic characteristics and adjusted to align with existing Valley Water programs or reports.
For more information, see Purpose and Scope document.
The Conceptual Model consists of several diagrams and accompanying text describing watershed context, core channel-riparian corridor processes and functions that affect habitat conditions, past and potential future landscape and hydrologic changes. They offer a synthesis of information drawing on principles of physical and ecological science, and available data. This understanding helps organize thinking around the interconnectedness of opportunity areas and actions to improve ecological conditions, and supports the definition and selection of opportunities that will be appropriate and sustainable. Conceptual models are useful tools that evolve over time as information and understanding advances. Thus, the CCNEET Conceptual Model presented here is expected to be revised over time.
The development, structure, and content of CCNEET was guided by a science framework, synthesis process, and review process. Tool development involved:
The science framework and synthesis process is described in the Tool Content Development document.
The User Guide consists of: (1) a brief step-by-step fact sheet to quickly orient users on how to access and use the CCNEET, and explore questions of interest including viewing, searching, filtering, and downloading; and (2) a video that highlights the main features of the CCNEET.
The Glossary provides definitions for terms used in CCNEET online and downloaded information.
As a data-driven planning tool for identifying ecological enhancement opportunities in Coyote Creek, CCNEET is based on publicly-available datasets provided by Valley Water and partner organizations, technical and environmental planning reports, personal communication with Valley Water staff, best professional judgement of the CCNEET Technical Advisory Committee and SFEI science team. The data and information used to inform, develop, and map each of the opportunity areas and enhancement actions are referenced under “Key Data” in the interactive tool and downloaded information. The full list of citations is available in the Key Data list.
The Coyote Creek Native Ecosystem Enhancement Tool (CCNEET) is a planning tool for Valley Water and partner organizations to identify potential areas and actions to restore, conserve, improve, establish, and/or mitigate impacts to stream, wetland, and riparian habitats. Opportunity areas were identified as potentially suitable for the identified enhancement actions based on their historical and existing physical and ecological conditions of the areas in their watershed context. The effort focuses on readily apparent opportunities and is thus not an exhaustive inventory of all suitable areas and enhancement actions. All opportunity areas and enhancement actions require more detailed investigations to determine their feasibility. Examples of such investigations include: property owner outreach, coordination, and negotiation; land use compatibility; field assessment and data collection; hydrologic and hydraulic studies; analyses of flood risk, water supply, cost, and socio-political factors. Actions taken in any given opportunity area may influence the suitability of other opportunity areas and/or enhancement actions. Where evident, possible synergies, constraints, and contingencies among enhancement actions in different opportunity areas are noted. However, the user should consider any other known or expected interactions among the opportunity areas and enhancement actions and between them and other aspects of aquatic resource management. Likewise, the user should consider the assumptions and scientific limitations of the data utilized by CCNEET.
These datasets were developed for use by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) for its internal purposes only, and were not designed or intended for general use by members of the public. Valley Water makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. Valley Water makes no warranty of merchantability or warranty for fitness of use for a particular purpose, expressed or implied, with respect to these products or the underlying data. Any user of this data, accepts same as is, with all faults, and assumes all responsibility for the use thereof, and further covenants and agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold Valley Water harmless from and against all damage, loss, or liability arising from any use of this product, in consideration of Valley Water having made this information available.
Independent verification of all data contained herein should be obtained by any user of these products, or the underlying data. Valley Water disclaims, and shall not be held liable for, any and all damage, loss, or liability, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, which arises or may arise from these products or the use thereof by any person or entity.
Please direct any issues concerning incorrect tool content or questions about the proper usage, citation, or constraints for these data to [email protected].