Riverview Stormwater Garden

Part of the River Oaks Regional Stormwater Facility, Riverview Stormwater Garden was designed to capture and filter runoff from storm drains in the River Oaks community of San José. The stormwater basin ensures that water is naturally filtered before flowing into the Guadalupe River. This eco-friendly system removes pollutants, sediments, and debris through a natural filtration process, improving water quality and protecting local waterways.

The garden features native landscaping, and open green space, and walking paths with interpretive signs, shown below, to help educate the public about the Guadalupe River Watershed and the environmental impact the stormwater facility will have. Combining sustainability with recreation, the Riverview Stormwater Garden enhances the environmental health of San José and the well-being of our community.

What is a Watershed?

Watersheds are land areas where water flows to a common low point like a creek or river, the Bay, or the ocean. The Guadalupe River Watershed is 171 square miles of urban land from which water flows through various outfalls into the Guadalupe River. The Riverview Stormwater Garden’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) bioretention area will treat rainwater from 344 acres of Guadalupe watershed and clean it before it flows into creeks and the South San Francisco Bay.

The park also features a public art project that further enhances the site for public enjoyment. Local artist Morgan Bricca designed a panoramic mural, "Riverview Wild" located at the crown of the stormwater pump building at the park.

View the mural photos and learn more about City of San José Public Art Program.

Download PDF copies of the park's Educational Guides below:


Water Quality (PDF )	Biodiversity (PDF)	Climate Resilience (PDF)

Water Quality

Rainwater runoff can be contaminated with trash, motor oil, grease, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizers, detergent, and other harmful pollutants. When it rains, rainwater carries these pollutants from roads, sidewalks, and other hard surfaces through the storm drain system (storm drains inlets) into our waterways and into the Bay. This rainwater garden’s bioretention system is designed to clean rainwater before it enters the Guadalupe River.

How Bioretention and Green Stormwater Infrastructure Areas Work

Rainwater that flows into bioretention areas soaks through layers of plants, soil, and rock. A specially engineered soil mix of sand and compost effectively removes pollutants from rainwater runoff. Flow-through planter boxes and pervious pavement increase green space that help cool the local environment and remove pollutants before runoff enters local creeks and the San Francisco Bay.

What Can You Do to Protect the Guadalupe Watershed?

You can be part of the solution to prevent water pollution and help protect the Guadalupe River Watershed by doing these tasks:

Dispose of trash and pet waste properly
Wash your car at a car wash (access car wash discount card here)
Choose environmentally friendly products
Incorporate GSI when establishing your own garden
Use less-toxic alternatives to keep your grass, plants, and trees healthy

Adopting simple actions to protect our waterways creates a healthier, safer, and more sustainable environment for yourself, your family, and your pets. Simple actions can make a big impact on your health, our community and our environment. Learn more at mywatershedwatch.org.

Biodiversity

The Guadalupe River is one of two major watersheds in San José and is habitat for freshwater fish and home to many Bay Area and California native species of wildlife. The native plants in this park and stormwater (rainwater) treatment system are a thriving home for birds, butterflies, bees, and other wildlife species. The Riverview Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) includes bioretention areas that filter pollutants from rainwater to protect the aquatic and riparian habitats in the Guadalupe River and San Francisco Bay. They also slow the flow of water entering the river, preventing erosion of the riverbank.

Aquatic Species

The Guadalupe River is home to a reproducing Steelhead Trout population and a small run of Chinook Salmon. Other water species include the Pacific Lamprey, California Roach, Three-spine Stickleback, and Prickly Sculpin.

Terrestrial Species

Land-based species in the area include the Black-tailed Jackrabbit, Fox Squirrel, Gray Fox, Coyote, and the American Beaver. This rainwater garden and the banks of the Guadalupe River provide shelter and food for these native species.

Plant Species

Common plants along the banks of the Guadalupe River include Pacific aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) and California mugwort (Artemisia douglasiana). This bioretention area includes native and pollinator plants, such as California buckeye (Aesculus californica), Sticky monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus), and California’s State grass: Purple needle grass (Stipa pulchra). These plants provide habitat for pollinators while removing pollutants from rainwater.

Pollinators

Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats, may be attracted to the native plants of this bioretention area. You may see Yellow-faced Bumble Bees, yellow-faced bumble bee pollinating a flower Anise swallowtail butterflies, and American Lady Butterflies around the garden, all of which are important to ensuring plant reproduction for a healthy ecosystem.

Birds

Local birds to look out for at this park are:

Great Blue Herons
Snowy Egrets
Belted Kingfishers
California Scrub Jays
Northern Mockingbirds
Nuttall’s Woodpeckers
Red-shouldered Hawks

Climate Resilience

San José is vulnerable to climate change effects such as sea level rise, frequent and intense coastal and river flooding, wildfires, and severe heat waves. Stronger, less predictable storms produce large amounts of stormwater runoff that can overwhelm our storm drains and flood streets.

Different kinds of GSI treatment control measures, like the Riverview Stormwater Garden bioretention area, flow-through planter boxes, and pervious pavement help address these effects. These measures increase green space, help cool the local environment and remove pollutants before runoff enters local creeks and the San Francisco Bay.

Benefits of Including Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Reducing Urban Heat Island Effect - Lack of green spaces worsen the effects of heat waves, since pavement absorbs and retains more heat and can absorb up to 90 percent of the sun’s radiation. As the day cools, roads and sidewalks release the absorbed heat into the surrounding area, known as the urban heat island effect. This effect can increase air pollution and energy costs, such as increased air conditioning use. The urban heat island effect can also lead to more heat-related illnesses and other serious public health issues. Trees, vegetation, and GSI help reduce urban heat island effect by decreasing levels of absorbed radiation from the sun, providing shade, and releasing moisture into the atmosphere (through plants' breathing process).
Minimizing Flooding Impacts - Heavy rain from intense storms can overwhelm the underground pipes that carry rainwater (stormwater runoff) to local waterways which can result in flooded streets, rivers, and creeks. GSI systems that contain plants help reduce these risks by allowing stormwater to slowly soak into the soil, rock, and plants before entering the pipe system.
Increasing Groundwater Infiltration - Other GSI systems like rain barrels and cisterns conserve water by collecting rainwater for reuse. GSI systems allow water to slowly soak into the soil and recharge groundwater supplies that can become depleted during times of drought.
Capturing Carbon - Carbon capture is the removal of carbon dioxide from the air by using plants, which reduces greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. The plants in this GSI bioretention area hold onto carbon dioxide by storing carbon in their bark, tissues, and root systems.