Coastal redwoods are cherished trees by many, especially in Northern California, where they are a center point of natural beauty. However, in the town of San Anselmo, several coastal redwood trees are at risk of falling or dying.

Marin County plans to enhance the water flow of the downtown San Anselmo creek in the summer of 2026 to reduce flood risks. The town’s current flood risk reduction project plan includes the demolition of three bridges that cross the San Anselmo Creek, one on Nokomis Avenue, one on Madrone Avenue and the final on the intersection of Center and Sycamore Avenue. Additionally, the town plans to remove some coastal redwood trees’ root systems, which would ultimately kill the trees.  

The flood reduction plan, designed in 2017, includes excavation around several coastal redwoods’ root systems in order to widen the basin of the creek and allow excess water to flow without getting backed up. This process will destabilize the trees that are over 100 feet tall and estimated to be 100 years old.

Roseann Dal Bello, a landscape architect and San Anselmo resident, appreciates the beauty and practical uses of San Anselmo’s redwood trees.

“I love when I can really see something that people use. They use [Creek Park] in the summer, people walk through there, and go down to the water. It’s about a community space that is well used,” Dal Bello said.

The town of San Anselmo and commercial arborists conducted independent reviews of Marin County’s plans, which concluded that the coastal redwoods’ long-term survival is in jeopardy. They presented these findings to the Marin County Council, and despite this, Marin County intends to press forward with its existing plans in the summer of 2026.

According to the Save the Redwoods League, a team of experts who rely on science-based research, coastal redwoods have a symbiotic root system. They have shallow root systems, only six to 12 feet deep, with no taproot, and spread outwards as far as 60 to 80 feet wide. Each tree intertwines with the roots of other redwoods for added stability. Without modification to the county’s current plans, a significant portion of the downtown’s coastal redwoods’ root systems will be removed, leading to the death of said trees due to instability.  

Dal Bello is working with consulting arborists and tree experts to determine the risks of removing these root systems. 

“When you cut off all the roots, it’s called the hinge effect; they will not fall into the creek, they will fall towards Andronico’s. So there’s a liability there, which nobody wants. If a tree fell on people, it could kill them; it could smash up a bunch of cars,” Dal Bello said.

These safety risks are concerning but many San Anselmo home and business owners are more concerned about the risks that the almost yearly floods have on their properties placed along the creek. When water becomes backed up, it affects nearby houses and businesses, causing them damage. Homeowners often have to contend with repair costs and flood preparation.

Mike Panec, who lives along the San Anselmo Creek, brought attention to the costly construction done to prepare for large floods.

“They raised probably 12 houses on this street. Basically, there was a ton of construction after that to repair the flood damage, and everybody invested in raising their houses six to eight feet, just so that they could avoid any future flood damage, but not everybody can afford that,” Panec said.

While this urgent issue needs a solution, a thorough and thought out strategy that targets the flooding problem while also putting the redwoods health into consideration would be ideal.

“Am I willing to sacrifice some redwoods for that? If I don’t have to, I’d prefer not to. But I also think that the project of flood mitigation in general is extremely important to the town,” Panec said.

Archie Williams junior Nalu Scanlan, who lives on the San Anselmo Creek, has experienced flooding in his basement, which caused damage to his home.

“When [the creek] floods, my basement gets a ton of water in it, and sometimes even my downstairs room floods, so we have to move all the furniture. It’s really annoying, [and] damages my house,” Nalu said.

The loss of these coastal redwoods would have serious implications for the aesthetics and property value of the town of San Anselmo. People who live in the community and visit the downtown area would experience a significant change in scenery, especially since coastal redwoods are also facing an uphill battle with climate change.  

“The amount of flooding that this saves, or killing these trees saves, is like five inches. You know, in a really big rainstorm, those houses are going to flood anyway; this one thing they’re doing doesn’t solve the problem,” Dal Bello said.

Marin County is pursuing its plan to modify the creek bed in the summer of 2026, which will benefit the town in extremely heavy rainfall, but will possibly destroy the surrounding coastal redwoods. Heavy rainfall and floods affect many people who live along this creek system, and this controversial topic needs a solution that is met by a compromise to settle the tensions within this community. The next San Anselmo town council meeting is scheduled for June 24, 2025, which is an opportunity for the public to voice their concerns and views on this topic.