Olompali State Historic Park near Novato is expected to reopen this week following mudslide damage repair that blocked access for nearly nine months.
The slide happened during heavy rain in March. It buckled a 100-foot section of Redwood Boulevard near the Buck Center for Research on Aging and threatened two major utility lines serving Marin. While the park itself was not in need of repair, the damage cut off the only access road, forcing it to remain closed.
The $13 million project is still weeks from wrapping up, but Caltrans plans on restoring public access for one-way traffic control around 3 p.m. Friday. The single-lane access will be in effect until Caltrans completes construction along a retaining wall, which is expected to continue through at least January, said Matt O’Donnell, an agency spokesperson.
Park officials plan to open the park Friday afternoon, and reinstate its normal operating hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Saturday.
“It’s an important place, not only for what it means as a beautiful landscape, but also its connection to the history of the entire region,” said Ryan Forbes, a California State Parks interpreter. “It’s incredibly important for everyone at California State Parks to share this once again with the community.”
Olompali is a 700-acre park nestled on the outskirts of Novato along Highway 101. The east-facing slopes of Mount Burdell overlook the Petaluma River and San Pablo Bay.
It’s become a popular destination for hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders, and because of its rich history, it attracts history buffs as well. Bicyclists are welcome to visit the area of historic buildings and visitor’s center, but mountain biking is prohibited on the rest of the grounds.
Olompali, which roughly translates to southern village or southern people, had been inhabited by the Coast Miwok from as early as about 6,000 B.C. until the mid-1800s. It served as a major Miwok trading post.
In 1852, James Black, Marin County’s first judge and tax assessor, purchased the land from Coast Miwok headman Camilo Ynitia, the only Native American to have been awarded a Mexican land grant. Black gave the land to his daughter Mary when she married dentist Dr. Galen Burdell.
The Burdells moved permanently to the property, which they operated as a working ranch. It was sold in the 1940s, and it has since been home to a Jesuit retreat, a dairy ranch, a private swim club and a hippie commune.
Olompali was preserved as a state historic park in 1977.
Emergency response to the slide involved Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Marin County Department of Public Works, Marin Municipal Water District and North Marin Water District officials.
The location of the slide is where natural gas and water pipelines that serve tens of thousands of Marin residents are buried. The mudslide did move and damage PG&E power poles, but it did not damage the two gas lines that serve 93,000 Marin residents. Gas service and electric service have continued without interruption.
The slide also moved an aqueduct at the bottom of the hillside that carries Russian River water into Marin County. The aqueduct provides 75% of the water supply for 60,000 residents in the Novato area served by the North Marin Water District and about 25% of the water supply for 191,100 central and southern Marin residents served by the Marin Municipal Water District.
Out of caution, the aqueduct was shut off for nearly a month in case of further slide movement, said Tony Williams, general manager of the North Marin Water District. A break in the aqueduct could cause millions of gallons of water to flood onto nearby Highway 101.
North Marin Water District spent about $250,000 to perform several evaluations of the aqueduct, and to purchase about 80 feet of pipe in case findings called for a quick fix, Williams said.
While no immediate mending is required, “we are still assessing the results of those analyses and determining if and when a repair is warranted,” Williams said.
Water district staffers expect to present an update to its board next month.
The Caltrans work will also restore the bicycle path access on Redwood Boulevard that links Marin and Sonoma counties. A temporary bike path has been in place since July.
“We appreciate Caltrans’ speed in getting this work done so quickly,” said Rosemarie Gaglione, director of county public works.
During the closure, park staff were reassigned to other Bay Area parks, Forbes said. While it was inconvenient, Forbes said the crew is focusing on reopening.
“We want to thank the public for their patience and understanding during this period that the park needed to be closed,” Forbes said. “With the reopening, we look forward to an exciting new year welcoming back visitors and providing access to high quality outdoor recreation and education experiences.”