Cut back the giant reed choking marked Coyote Creek bank sections

Giant reed (arundo) walls off stretches of Coyote Creek's banks, burning-dry in summer, drinking the creek low, and crowding out the willows and sycamores that native wildlife needs. Host-marked removal sections — cut low, hauled out, chemical-free — reopen the bank a section at a time for replanting crews. Standard: California Invasive Plant Council arundo management practice (mechanical, chemical-free sections); SDG 15 (Life on Land). Proof: Before/after section photos plus staged-material photo Method (California Invasive Plant Council arundo management practice (mechanical, chemical-free sections); SDG 15 (Life on Land).): 1. Confirm the host-marked section boundaries and access route before cutting. 2. Cut arundo canes low with loppers and hand power saws, working from the bank top downslope only as far as marked. 3. Haul cut canes to the staging point for chipping or green-waste pickup — never leave them in the channel. 4. Flag regrowth clumps on the section map for the follow-up pass. 5. Photograph the section before and after plus the staged material. Done when: Before/after section photos plus staged-material photo

Where

Host-marked bank sections on Coyote Creek near William Street Park's upstream reach, San Jose, CA 95116

Pay

$600 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

Before/after section photos plus staged-material photo

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

advanced

Open until

2026-09-03

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 30–60 minutes. Method of record: EPA dry-weather / AMD field screening

Bring

• GPS phone
• pH meter or strips
• conductivity meter
• ammonia + iron test kit as specified
• surfactant screen if specified
• gloves
• camera

Steps

1. 1. Navigate to the outfall/reach; record GPS; photograph it, capturing any visible flow or staining.
2. 2. Note whether flow is present in dry weather (yes/no).
3. 3. Measure and record pH, conductivity, and each specified analyte per kit instructions.
4. 4. Log any color, odor, floc, or aquatic-life observation.
5. 5. Enter all readings with units, GPS, time, and photos into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Dry-weather flow present with elevated conductivity/ammonia/surfactants -> flag suspected illicit discharge for the responsible agency.
• pH < 6 with visible iron floc -> tag suspected acid mine drainage; recommend metals lab panel.

What counts as done

• pH + conductivity recorded with units
• Each specified analyte recorded with a value
• Dry-weather flow present? recorded yes/no
• GPS waypoint + timestamped photo

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.