ecesis ii-2004 - cbec inc., eco engineering

Ecesis
ecesis \I-’se-sus, i-’ke-sus\ noun [from Greek oikesis meaning inhabitation]: the establishment of an animal or plant in a new habitat.
The Quarterly Newsletter of the California Society for Ecological Restoration
Spring Equinox Volume 22, Issue 1
Issue compiled by Andrew Fulks
1... Integrative Floodplain
Design
3... The Richness of the
Central Valley Revealed
5... California Native Plant
Cover Crops: A research trial
7... Landowner Permissions
Database: A crucial component
of regional invasive plant
vegetation control
8... Enhancing Instream and
Floodplain Habitat at
Honolulu Bar, Stanislaus River
Plus…
2... SERCAL Contacts
10-11... Membership
11... Natural Resource Events
Figure 1. Vegetation can influence both scour (note the roots exposed due to recent scour) and
deposition in high energy floodplain environments. Photo courtesy Stefan Lorenzato.
Integrative Floodplain Design
by Chris Hammersmark1, PhD, PE, Stefan Lorenzato2, Tom Griggs3, PhD, and Chris
Bowles1, PhD, PE
Ecesis is published quarterly by the
California Society for Ecological
Restoration, a nonprofit
corporation, as a service to its
members. Newsletter
contributions of all types are
welcome and may be submitted to
any of the regional directors (see
p. 2). Articles should be sent as a
word processing document and
accompanying images sent as jpg
or tif files.
ABOVE:
Landowner outreach is
important in obtaining permission
to access and treat invasive plants
over a large geographic area and
also creates program allies who
can popularize the program to
others. See page 7 for article.
Floodplains are among our most valuable lands. They derive their
richness from the dynamics of the river systems that created them,
providing us with fertile farm land, land easily accessible for building
our communities, and abundant fish and wildlife. Despite this value,
our approach to floodplains has been to “reclaim” land from the river
for agriculture and more recently to rapidly expand our communities
with the result that the floodplains of California’s Central Valley have
experienced losses of wetlands and riparian habitats between 90%
and 95%. In the past, flood management concentrated on attempts
to control and limit flooding by confining the path of flood waters
using levees and “improved channels” and accelerating the
conveyance of water to downstream reaches. This management
approach diminished the ecological quality and areal extent of
floodplain habitats while increasing risk as use of floodplain lands
continued next page
__________
1
cbec, inc. eco engineering, 1255 Starboard Drive, Suite B, West Sacramento,
CA 95691. 2Riparian Habitat Joint Venture & Department of Water
Resources–FESSRO, 901 P Steet, Rm 411A, Sacramento, CA 95814.
3
River Partners, 580 Vallombrosa Avenue, Chico, CA 95926.
[email protected]
Registered
yet?
(Early Bird registration
discounts end April 18)
Stay tuned to
www.
sercal.
org for
the latest on
SERCAL 2012
at UC Davis!
SERCAL Board of Directors
Andrew Fulks UC-Davis Putah Creek Reserve
[email protected]
PRESIDENT
PAST PRESIDENT
Mark Tucker ESA [email protected]
Matt James Coastal Restoration Consultants
[email protected]
PRESIDENT ELECT
Karen Verpeet H.T. Harvey & Associates
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Dave Hubbard Coastal Restoration Consultants
[email protected]
TREASURER
Directors
1 Ralph Vigil Restoration Resources
[email protected] — NORTHERN INTERIOR (Lassen,
REGION
Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity)
REGION
2 Harry Oakes ICF International [email protected] —
SACRAMENTO VALLEY (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Sacramento, Sutter,
Tehama, Yolo, Yuba)
3 Kevin MacKay ICF International [email protected]
— BAY AREA (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco,
REGION
San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma)
REGION
4 Carl Jensen ICF International [email protected] —
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY (Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Kern, Kings,
Integrative Floodplain Design continued
intensifies. Because current policies recognize our floodways serve many
simultaneous purposes (see for example California Water Code Section 9600 et
seq.); current and future management efforts are now required to integrate the
multiple possible functions of these areas in order to simultaneously achieve
ecological and community stability and sustainability.
An apparent shortcoming of current efforts is the general lack of understanding
about what these multi-function, integrated systems look like and how to design
them to successfully achieve multiple functions. There is a need to provide
practical techniques and training that translate societal demands into concrete
actions that both preserve and enhance the ecological quality and function of
floodplains. The Riparian Habitat Joint Venture, in coordination with cbec, inc.
eco engineering and River Partners, Inc., is in the process of developing a
workshop which explores: 1) the multiple functions of floodways/floodplains, 2)
tools available for analysis and design of these areas, 3) ecological tolerances of
native vegetation communities which occur in engineered floodways, and 4) how
to synthesize this information and available tools into designs which result in
improved flood safety and ecological health. This training will be beneficial to
water resource engineers, land managers, landscape architects, biologists and
regulators by providing an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to the
design of floodplains.
Mariposa, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare,
Tuolumne)
5 Peter Tomsovic RECON Environmental, Inc.
[email protected] —
REGION
SOUTH COAST (Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Ventura)
6 Liz Cieslak Hedgerow Farms [email protected]
— CENTRAL COAST (Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa
REGION
Barbara, Santa Cruz)
7 Ross Taylor Ross Taylor & Associates
[email protected] — NORTH COAST (Del Norte,
REGION
Humboldt, Mendocino)
8 Michael Hogan Integrated Environmental Restoration
Services, Inc. [email protected] — SIERRA (Alpine,
REGION
El Dorado, Inyo, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra)
REGION
9 (Open) — SOUTHERN INTERIOR (Imperial, Riverside,
San Bernardino)
Guild Chairs
Vince Cicero California Department of Parks &
Recreation [email protected]
COASTAL HABITAT
Andrew Fulks UC-Davis Putah Creek Reserve
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Margot Griswold NewFields / AER
[email protected]
UPLAND HABITAT
& RIPARIAN Dan Efseaff City of Chico, Parks & Natural
Resources [email protected]
WETLAND
____________________
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Susan Clark Coy
[email protected] 2701 20th St., Bakersfield 93301
tel. 661.634.9228 fax 661.634.9540
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Julie St. John [email protected]
WEBMASTER Steve Newton-Reed [email protected]
w w w. s e r c a l . o r g
Floodplains contain a multitude of gradients acting across spatial and temporal
scales. These gradients link physical, biological and chemical processes, in
complex feedback mechanisms. Topography drives the hydraulics of water flow in
river channels and adjacent floodplains by dictating reach slope and cross
sectional area available to convey both floodwaters and entrained sediment. As
flood waves travel through the floodway, varying energy gradients control the
geomorphic processes of scour and deposition. These varying geomorphic
processes act in conjunction with other processes to determine the composition
of the floodplain substrate, including both sediment texture and percent of
organic matter. Sediment texture and amount of organic matter in turn impact
the moisture availability to plants as flood waters recede. Topographic features
also influence the depth-to-groundwater across a site as well as the extent and
duration of inundation. The extent of flood inundation controls the transport
and deposition of hydrochorous seeds as well as plant material responsible for
plant establishment and growth. So through controls on soil moisture, depth-togroundwater and inundation regime, topography influences the distribution of
various plant species in riparian zones.
Once plants come to occupy their appropriate physical, ecological and chemical
niche in the landscape, their physical structure acts in concert with the
geophysical setting to further influence energy (i.e., disturbance) gradients. The
presence of both living and dead plant material (i.e., large woody material) alter
flow patterns and affect sediment scour, deposition and sorting (Fig. 1), and
provide feedback mechanisms that further enhance topography, moisture and
disturbance gradients. Longer-term temporal gradients also play an important
role as succession occurs. Initially, early colonizing plant species act to encourage
sediment deposition and accumulate organic material and nutrients. As
succession occurs, trees begin to dominate the landscape and limit resources
available to other species (moisture, nutrients, light, etc.), further changing the
way floodwaters move through an area. The complex interplay between biotic and
abiotic factors control the distribution of various plant species/communities, as
well as the manner in which floodwaters move through the system.
2 Ecesis Spring 2012 Volume 22, Issue 1
continued page 4
SERCAL 2012
A Cross-Section of
Central Valley
Restoration
TUESDAY 15 MAY — Full-Day Field Tours
Pre-Conference Restoration Site Field Tours
NAPA RIVER PUTAH CREEK LOWER AMERICAN
RIVER & SACRAMENTO RIVER WORK
WEDNESDAY 16 MAY — Conference Day 1
Includes Continental Breakfast & Buffet Lunch Plenary Session
Keynote Speaker: SENATOR LOIS WOLK
Panel Discussion: DR. PETER MOYLE, UC Davis, Mark W.
Cowin, DWR, & Leo Winternitz, The Nature Conservancy
Concurrent Technical Sessions
DELTA RESTORATION I: The Confluence of Water, Science
and Politics RIPARIAN & WETLAND RESTORATION I:
Healing the Valley’s Arteries AGRICULTURAL LAND
RESTORATION: Farming with Nature Preserving and
Restoring our Iconic FOOTHILL OAK WOODLANDS
Evening Social
Appetizers & Cash Bar Sponsor & Raffle Displays
THURSDAY 17 MAY — Conference Day 2
Sponsor & Raffle Displays Concurrent Technical Sessions
Rescue and Restoration of VALLEY GRASSLANDS DELTA
RESTORATION II: The Confluence of Water, Science and
Politics RIPARIAN & WETLAND RESTORATION II:
Healing the Valley’s Arteries COMMUNITY-BASED
RESTORATION: Building and Strengthening Natural
Systems and Human Communities
Buffet Lunch with Raffle & SERCAL Meeting Afternoon Post-Conference
Restoration Site Field Tours
CACHE CREEK PRESERVE & MINE RECLAMATION KATCHATULE OXBOW BOBCAT RANCH RUSSELL RANCH GRASSLANDS
Field Tours are included in your conference
registration fee: There are no additional charges!
UC Davis Conference Center
15–17 May 2012
The Richness of the
Central Valley Revealed
by Andrew Fulks, SERCAL President & Conference Chair
California’s Central Valley is a hotbed of restoration ecology, both
academic and applied. It makes sense when you consider the
geography of the Valley. Located between the Coast Range and Sierra,
the valley is the result of the deposition of silty blessings from
numerous rivers, creeks, and their tributaries, forming the backbone of
agriculture, wildlife habitat, and water supplies.
This fertile soil let to extensive cultivation of the grassland prairies,
straightening of the creeks and rivers, creation of levees, pumps, and
other trappings of civilization. Oaks were cut down in the foothills,
rivers silted in from the hydraulic mining in the Sierra, and water
pumped to a thirsty south. In short, it hasn’t been pretty so far as the
natural world was concerned.
In the more recent past, however, there has been a shift in values.
Recreational users of the landscape began to wonder why our local
creeks and wetlands couldn’t be more like the places they visited. The
scientific community began to better understand the overall ecological
role the Central Valley landscapes played in relation to the rest of
California, including wildlife migration corridors, water filtration and
quality, and fisheries. The somewhat industrial-sounding
quantification of value that is ‘ecological services’, began to be more
fully explored. The people of the Central Valley began to see it as a
place, with value and wonder all its own; landscapes that deserved
protection and restoration. Some of the more complex and innovative
restoration projects have taken place within the Valley, with the
Sacramento and Delta region as the nexus of restoration.
I chose the conference theme and location based on this rich history. I
want to show a cross-section of the Valley, with restoration science
showcasing the foothills, Delta, and everything between. The speakers
will showcase the diversity of our habitat types, the restoration efforts
we’ve undertaken to remedy past uses and abuses, and where we are
headed as a region. Rather than a strictly academic exercise, we’ll give
conference attendees the opportunity to see some of these restoration
projects. By incorporating the field trips into the conference at no extra
charge, attendees won’t have to make a choice between technical
sessions and site visits. The field trip locations were chosen so that
each of the Central Valley habitat types was represented, and they are
ordered so that trips before the Plenary and technical sessions will set
the stage for the sessions, and those that follow the sessions will build
upon the talks given. Sites visited will include one of the oldest
regional restoration projects and some of the most recent. One of our
State’s champions for preservation of the Valley Landscape, Senator
Lois Wolk, will be our keynote speaker. Our plenary panel will include
Dr. Peter Moyle from UC Davis, Department of Water Resources
Director Mark Cowin, and The Nature Conservancy’s Leo Winternitz.
All are leaders in restoration and management of natural resources.
I hope you attend this year’s SERCAL conference. Come learn and
experience the diverse landscapes of California’s Central Valley.
Volume 22, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Ecesis 3
Integrative Floodplain Design continued
Past management efforts focused on
one aspect of the system: maximizing
conveyance in as small an area as
possible. Evolving needs have brought
us back to a point where the quality of
river ecosystems is again important. A
variety of tools and information
products exist to help inform the
interdisciplinary design of floodplains,
allowing for flood risk management in
addition to other important
ecosystem functions.
Advances in modern computing have
enabled the development of
sophisticated numerical
hydrodynamic models capable of
simulating depth and velocity patterns
of flood waves. When properly
developed, calibrated and validated,
such models allow for the prediction
of physical effects of manipulating
topography, vegetation or
infrastructure at a site. Hydrodynamic
models can provide very powerful
tools to screen various scenarios, and
refine preferred designs (Fig. 2). In
such models, vegetation is
incorporated as “roughness,” with
higher values indicating a higher
resistance to flowing water. The
roughness parameter incorporates
more than just vegetation (e.g.,
substrate size, bed forms, and other
factors also contribute to the
roughness), and is the parameter
typically modified to calibrate
hydraulic models. Likewise, when
potential management scenarios are
simulated, the roughness parameter is
altered within the model to account
for changes in vegetation type and
distribution. In these instances, high
roughness values are typically applied
in order to conservatively ensure flood
risks are not elevated over the existing
condition due to the proposed
modifications to the system. However,
careful consideration of plant biology
overcomes the tendency of the models
to mask the ability for plants to
decrease or at least not increase to
flood risk.
Figure 2. Hypothetical example demonstrating the influence of vegetation community
placement on velocity patterns during a ~5-yr recurrence interval event. Top panel shows
hypothetical vegetation patterns, and the lower panel shows the resulting velocity patterns as
simulated with a two dimensional hydrodynamic model. Differences are due solely to different
vegetation patterns (roughness), nothing else (e.g., topographic modification). Images courtesy
cbec eco engineering.
continued next page
4 Ecesis Spring 2012 Volume 22, Issue 1
California Native Plant Cover Crops:
A Research Trial
by Marissa Jacobi, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis. [email protected]
Cover crops are grown on farms during the fallow season for a
variety of benefits provided such as weed suppression, nitrogen
addition, and control of soil erosion and nutrient loss. While not a
harvestable crop, winter cover crops are being used increasingly,
especially on organic farms, to replace weed control by herbicide
and by mechanical tillage (Sheaffer et al. 2011). In fact, weeds are
often the most ‘troublesome, time consuming, and costly’ of
production problems for farmers (Webber, CL III et al. 2011). Cover
crops provide competition against weeds, reducing the access of
weeds to light, water, and nutrients (Smith et al. 2000). If weeds are
not managed in fallow seasons, they will utilize farmland to set seed;
weeds will then grow and interfere with the next crops’ growth and
yield.
natural local biological controls, reducing pressure from insects and
pests. One important consideration, however, is the costeffectiveness of using native plant seed which is more expensive and
is incurred without producing yield. Currently, native plant cover
crops are used in California solely in the setting of orchard or
vineyard interrows.
Sustainable farming measures that enhance agroecology include: notill farming, catchments of irrigation water, planting hedgerows to
increase farm habitat, and cover cropping and crop rotations. Native
plant cover crops could potentially further benefit sustainability
aims on organic farms. While cover crops already have a welldefined role in organic farming, native plant cover crops are
uncommon and require further research in field trials to determine
their suitability. There is a distinct possibility that farmers may be
able to decrease irrigation costs by planting natives with increased
water efficiency. Native plants might also support a greater variety of
This research experiment compared cover crops with respect to
weed suppression. Winter cover crops were seeded on October 30
into small row plots at the UC Davis Student Farm, an organic
campus farm. Plot species were: 1) California native plant Tansy leaf
phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia), 2) Lana vetch (Vicia dasycarpa), a
typical introduced cover crop, and 3) a control plot of weeds.
P. tanacetifolia is native to a wide range in the Central Valley and
southern California. It grows as an annual in full sun to part shade,
and follows the growing cycle of fall germination, winter growth,
and spring flowering and seeding. P. tanacetifolia is also notable for
being a nitrogen scavenger — a plant that collects residual soil
nitrogen thus helping to prevent nutrient loss. It is used as a cover
crop in Europe in annual cropping systems, but not as of yet in the
U.S.
In contrast, vetches (Vicia ssp.) are an introduced species with
multiple cultivars. Commercially-produced vetches, including the
continued next page
Integrative Floodplain Design continued
Through exploration of these topics, the workshop intends to
sites is explored. Through interactive involvement, participants
enhance understanding of multi-function floodplain
will build floodway mosaics, practicing integrative floodplain
management. The workshop includes an
design and will leave the course with a
introduction to various floodplain types
sense of how plants can be used to
within the Central Valley and the
achieve flood risk reduction goals while
multitude of functions they provide; the
simultaneously enhancing ecosystem
biological and physical conditions and
functions and maintaining biological
plant communities present in each type;
diversity within the floodways of the
the physical interactions which occur
Central Valley.
between various plant species, sediment
The contents of this workshop contents
and water during floods (Fig. 3); how
were first presented at the Floodplain
biologists and engineers look at
Management Association Annual
vegetation differently; and an
Conference in San Diego in September
introduction to numerical hydrodynamic
2011. Since that time the contents of the
models and how these models describe
workshop have been refined, improved
physical conditions and vegetation.
and expanded, and will be presented at
Examples of existing floodplain
upcoming meetings and conferences in
conditions and various scenarios using
2012 and beyond. Please contact Chris
different combinations of vegetation
Hammersmark for more information:
patterns and topography are evaluated.
[email protected].
Drawing upon the newly developed map
Figure
3
–
Physical
response
of
a
typical
riparian
of riparian vegetation in the Central
shrub to inundation by moving floodwaters.
Valley, the flood and habitat context of
Image courtesy River Partners, Inc.
Volume 22, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Ecesis 5
California Native Plant Cover Crops
continued
common Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), are native to Europe and Asia
(Undersander et al.) In California, vetches are common legume cover crops,
winter annuals (Undersander et al.) that are grown alone or in combination
with grasses. Legumes including vetch have historically been used to provide
supplemental nitrogen to subsequent crops (Shennan 1992). A study at UC
Davis showed Vicia dasycarpa was capable of producing the nitrogen for corn
crop yields equivalent to optimal fertilization (Shennan 1992).
The control plots were unplanted and allowed to grow weeds, which are
windblown and capable of producing thousands of weed seeds. Weed growth
in the control was compared to the cover crops to further examine
effectiveness at suppressing weeds. Weeds observed included small weeds
(Blue rye, Henbit, Shepherd’s purse) and medium and large weeds (Common
mallow, Fiddleneck, Brassica). The measurements of weediness were done by
visual estimation, as a percentage of plot cover.
Results showed that Tansy leaf phacelia can be a useful cover crop in the
Central Valley due to its high weed suppression ability — the Phacelia plots
had as little as 1-3% weed cover at the end of the experiment. The vetch did
poorly especially for this region, and contained an average of 20% weeds at
the end; however, this response was probably due to a comparatively low
seeding rate. Both species provided additional nitrogen — nitrogen content in
the vetch was 5.56% versus 3.34% for Phacelia and 2.52% in weeds.
Given the significant cost investment of native plant seed, it makes the most
sense to plant natives in perennial conditions such as in orchards and
vineyards. As noted by other native plant proponents, the high water
efficiency of native plants makes them valuable in dry regions such as
California. Also, native plants may be an effective nectar source for native
insects. Introduced plants can also be a nectar source, and either natives or
non-natives can host pathogens. These additional thoughts highlight the
many questions relating the possible uses and benefits of native plants.
Many thanks to our 2011 Conference sponsors
for their generous support
6 Ecesis Spring 2012 Volume 22, Issue 1
Phacelia tanacetifolia cover crop plot.
Sheaffer, C et al. (2011) Rolled Winter Rye and Hairy Vetch
Cover Crops Lower Weed Density but Reduce Vegetable
Yields in No-tillage Organic Production HortScience March
2011 46:387-395
Shennan, C (1992) Cover Crops, Nitrogen Cycling, and Soil
Properties in Semi-Irrigated Vegetable Production Systems
HortScience July 1992 27:749-754
Smith, R et al. “Weed management for organic crops” UC
Davis ANR Publication 7250. Copyright 2000. ISBN 978-160107-041-8
Undersander, DJ et al. “Hairy Vetch’. University of Wisconsin –
Cooperative Extension. Alternative Field Manual. undated
www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/vetch.html
Webber, CL III et al. “Organic Weed Control”. 2011. University
of Oklahoma. cdn.intechweb.org/pdfs/25998.pdf
Landowner Permissions Database:
A crucial component of regional invasive vegetation control
by David Varner and Joel Kramer, Habitat Management Program, San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy,
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA. [email protected]
Invasive plant treatment efforts are often limited to public lands
and habitat preserves because access is restrained to these
properties. However, leaving invasive plants untreated on adjacent
properties may be a vector for reinfestation. The San Elijo Lagoon
Conservancy (SELC) Invasive Species Program assumes
responsibility for controlling invasive vegetation throughout the
135,604-acre Carlsbad Hydrologic Unit (CHU) in northern San
Diego County. Target species include giant reed (Arundo donax),
pampas and jubata grass (Cortaderia sp.), fennel (Foeniculum
vulgare), saltcedar (Tamarix sp.), and others that disrupt
ecological function and are a nuisance to society. In order to
access a wide range of properties, SELC developed a Permissions
Program to acquire landowner permission agreements which
grant SELC the right of entry for private and publicly-owned
properties. Funding from state and regional entities allows SELC
to offer invasive plant control services to some landowners free of
charge.
Landowner outreach is important to obtain permission to access
and treat invasive plants over a large geographic area containing
many small parcels. Establishing positive relationships with
landowners creates program allies who can participate in an
early-detection program and popularize the program to others.
Every effort is made to educate landowners about the effects of
invasive species and conservation-oriented land management
strategies. Cal-IPC publications about manual and chemical
treatment methods and landscaping alternatives are provided to
participating and interested landowners. Landowners who choose
not to sign the agreement often do so for liability, aesthetic, or
herbicide toxicity concerns. Assurance that the treatments use
only EPA-approved herbicides and application techniques, as well
as additional safety precautions, is provided to landowners
concerned about herbicide toxicity. To encourage the more
resistant landowners to join the program, SELC offers to remove
biomass from the site and revegetate with native plants.
SELC acquires geographic features and parcel ownership
shapefiles for free from the publicly available San Diego
Geographic Information Source website. The County Assessor’s
parcel database provides the basic building blocks for the
permission agreement shapefile, which is derived from the parcel
shapefile and includes additional fields:
Owner contact information
Scheduling needs
Access details and restrictions
Watershed name
SELC-assigned work areas
Permission agreement expiration date
Unique numerical code that corresponds with signed
hardcopy of landowner permission agreement
Legal documentation protects SELC and its contractors during
treatment activities. The permission agreement is vetted by legal
experts and releases SELC from liability for erosion, flood, or fire
damage resulting from treatment activities. General, automobile,
and pollution liability insurance is necessary for both SELC and
its contractors. Additional liability insurance is extended to
permission agreement signees upon request. Permits are
continued next page
The SELC Permissions Program includes all the resources needed
to perform invasive plant control on public and private
properties. It is composed of the following:
Landowner permission agreements
Permits from wildlife agencies
Herbicide safety procedures
Letters of support from agencies and municipalities
A robust GIS including high-resolution aerial imagery and
pertinent databases
Invasive weed control educational and outreach materials
Desktop and field computers with GIS mapping capability
Pampas grass is a target species because it outcompetes native
vegetation and alters plant community structure, harbors pest species
such as rats, produces copious seeds and large amounts of dry foliage
which is a wildfire hazard. Several native bunch grasses and sedges are
excellent landscaping alternatives to this exotic weed.
Volume 22, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Ecesis 7
Enhancing Instream and Floodplain Habitat
at Honolulu Bar, Stanislaus River
by Chris Campbell, MS, Chris Hammersmark, PhD, PE, Chris Bowles, PhD, PE, cbec, inc.
Project Design Team: FishBIO, cbec, inc. eco engineering, River Partners; Project Partners: US Fish & Wildlife Service, Oakdale Irrigation District
Regularly inundated floodplain habitat on the Stanislaus River is
scarce. A variety of factors contribute to this including historic
gravel mining, channel incision, and the highly regulated flow
regime downstream of New Melones and Tulloch Reservoirs. The
lower Stanislaus River is listed as essential habitat for Chinook
salmon and critical habitat for Central Valley steelhead. Jointly
funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Anadromous Fish
Restoration Program and Oakdale Irrigation District (OID), the
Honolulu Bar Floodplain Enhancement Project was designed to
benefit these fisheries by increasing seasonally inundated
floodplain habitat, side channel rearing habitat, and spawning
habitat.
To partially compensate for adverse impacts associated with
construction of a new regulating reservoir at the confluence of
OID’s North Main Canal/Cometa Lateral, Burnett Lateral and
Rodden High Line, in addition to other compensatory mitigation,
OID is partially funding out-of-kind habitat restoration in
support of the Honolulu Bar Floodplain Enhancement Project.
The new regulating reservoir is being added to this portion of the
water delivery system to better balance the water demand needs of
customers as well as to conserve water and improve water use
efficiency. Construction of the water project would result in the
loss of 0.6 acre of seasonal wetland and vernal pools that could be
utilized by special status species such as California tiger
salamander, Vernal pool fairy shrimp, and Vernal pool tadpole
shrimp.
The Honolulu Bar Floodplain Enhancement Project is within the
Honolulu Bar Recreation Area on the Stanislaus River, located
near Oakdale, California between River Miles 49.5 and 50.1 on
property owned by the US Army Corps of Engineers and
Stanislaus River Parks. The restoration site currently has a limited
amount of floodplain habitat which is inundated only under high
flows within the context of the highly regulated flow regime. In
the present topographic condition, floodplain areas are typically
inundated at flows greater than 3,000 cfs up to the post-New
Melones Dam 100-year flow of 8,000 cfs. The current side
continued next page
Landowner Permission Database continued
maintained from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service,
California Department of Fish and Game, California Coastal
Commission, municipal planning departments, and County of
San Diego.
The initial permission agreements acquired by the Permissions
Program (2004-2006) provided access to large invasive plant
infestations, three quarters of which were on private properties.
Currently, many of the multi-acre infestations in the CHU have
already been treated and most government agencies and
municipalities have signed programmatic permission agreements
for ongoing control. New SELC priorities include specific target
treatments in commercial and residential areas near habitat
reserves, which requires considerable interaction with
landowners. Since its inception in 2004, the program has grown
to include approximately 1,500 landowners and their 3,000
parcels, covering an area of more than 21,800 acres;
approximately half of the parcels are under private ownership.
Ongoing invasive plant control is necessary to prevent
reinfestations of restoration sites. In the initial phase of the
program, permission agreements specified three year access; the
duration was later expanded to ten years to allow for ongoing
monitoring and retreatment. As infestations are brought under
control and restoration of those sites initiated, program efforts
expand outward to include contiguous parcels and landowners.
High priority landowners include habitat preserve neighbors,
commercial and residential properties landscaped with invasive
exotic plants, and disturbed parcels not under management.
Contact information for property owners is sourced from the
parcel database and online directories. Corporate property
owners are the most difficult to contact. Municipal and agency
landowners, and some homeowners associations, own multiple
parcels and are often familiar with invasive plant control
challenges and eager to participate in the program.
The Permissions Program has several challenges that are unique to
working on private lands. Working on private properties entails
coordination with landowners to schedule property access. The
permission agreement used by SELC is only valid under the
current owner; when properties change hands, the process of
educating the landowner, acquiring permission, and developing a
trusting relationship must be restarted. Uninformed landowners
are sensitive to the aesthetic appearance of dying plants and
require additional attention during the retreatment period. Lastly,
Permissions Program staff must be technically proficient to
manage the GIS database, while also affable enough to
communicate successfully with landowners. The Permissions
Program is a valuable component of the SELC Invasive Species
Program, enabling the active protection of native vegetation
communities beyond the boundaries of habitat preserves.
8 Ecesis Spring 2012 Volume 22, Issue 1
Enhancing Instream and Floodplain Habitat continued
channel provides rearing habitat for salmonids; however, as a
result of historic gravel and gold mining, regulated hydrology, and
decreased coarse sediment transport, the existing side channel
becomes dewatered at river flows below 250 cfs. Based on daily
exceedance probability, the side channel becomes disconnected
16% of the time during the spring juvenile salmonid rearing
period (February to May).
To support the design of the Honolulu Bar Floodplain
Enhancement Project, a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model of
the Lower Stanislaus River from Orange Blossom Bridge (River
Mile 46.9) upstream to Lovers Leap (River Mile 52.6) was
developed, calibrated, and validated using the SRH-2D modeling
platform. The model was thoroughly and successfully calibrated
at 1,500 cfs and validated at 5,000 cfs. The hydrodynamic model
was then used to assess ecological function of the project
elements for flows up to 1,200 cfs as well as evaluate the flood
performance of the project at 8,000 cfs.
Specific design objectives were formulated to guide the project
design to meet the primary project goal to increase salmonid
rearing habitat conditions at Honolulu Bar to include:
Increase the frequency and
duration of low flows in the side
channel (i.e., maintain
connectivity at 200 cfs).
Optimize functional floodplain
adjacent to the side channel to
enhance rearing habitat
conditions for flows in the range
of 200 cfs to 1,200 cfs.
Maintain riffle integrity in the
main river at the side channelmain channel flow split (i.e.,
project elements and
construction activities should
not degrade the riffle through
incision or loss of quality
spawning gravels).
Physical parameters beyond the scope of the restoration
project should be considered fixed (i.e., regulated flow regime,
local river slope, decreased sediment supply, sediment
dynamics, and historic gravel mining legacy effects).
Cut and fill should be balanced both onsite and in the
adjacent river.
Sensitive vegetation (i.e., Valley oak and Elderberry) should be
avoided where possible.
Flood hazards should not be increased above the 100-year,
post-New Melones Dam design condition.
Construction activities should take all reasonable measures to
protect the beneficial uses of the river (i.e., cold water
fisheries, irrigation, recreation, etc.) and meet water quality
standards.
The proposed mitigation to compensate for adverse impacts to
seasonal wetlands and vernal pools will create at least 2.4 acres of
seasonally inundated floodplain by partially regrading the existing
gravel bar adjacent to the side channel. The project will
additionally 1) enhance approximately one mile of year-round
rearing habitat for Chinook salmon and
Central Valley steelhead by providing
continuous flow to the side channel and
subsequently reducing the risk of potential
fish stranding, 2) enhance riparian habitat
through removal of non-native vegetation
and native species plantings, 3) construct a
gravel bench upstream of the flow split
from the excavated material to create
seasonally inundated floodplain habitat as
well as provide an in-channel recruitment
source of spawning size gravel during high
flows, and 4) create spawning habitat
through gravel augmentation in the main
river riffle adjacent to the bar.
Based on the two-dimensional model
results for the design, in conjunction with
Aerial photo showing model validation.
daily exceedance probability using mean
daily flow data, side channel flows meet or exceed 400 cfs on 50%
Maintain and enhance side channel habitat quality and
of the days observed, 800 cfs on 30% of the days observed, and
integrity.
1,200 cfs on 20% of the days observed. Of greater relevance, the
Recycle excavated spawning size gravels for reuse in the
daily exceedance probability, using mean daily flow data for only
Stanislaus River.
the months of February through May to correspond with the
primary salmonid rearing period, show that side channel flows
Remove non-native vegetation (e.g., Himalayan blackberry
meet or exceed 400 cfs on 73% of the days observed, 800 cfs on
and Tree of heaven).
50% of the days observed, and 1,200 cfs on 37% of the days
Satisfy OID mitigation requirements (i.e., create a minimum
observed.
of 2.4 acres of regularly inundated floodplain habitat).
The project is scheduled for construction this summer. For more
In addition to the design objectives, specific design constraints
information regarding this project, contact Chris Campbell at
were identified within which the project design must conform:
[email protected].
Volume 22, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Ecesis 9
Welcome New Members! and Many Thanks to Our
through March 2012
2012 Special Members…
Christine Moen Southwest Riverside County
Reserve
SUSTAINING I NDIVIDUAL $100
Denise DeFreese East Bay Regional Park District
R.C. Brody ICF International
Flo Anderson Hammond Ranch
CONTRIBUTING BUSINESS $250
Cornelia White Berkeley
Leslie Bryan Western Shasta RCD Anderson
Catherine Caldwell DWR Sacramento
Nate Brown Cal Poly Pomona
Scott Gallic RECON Environmental San Diego
Judah Grossman The Nature Conservancy
Sacramento
Christopher Gardner Cache Creek Conservancy
Woodland
Sharyl Massey Cuyamaca Outdoor School Julian
Kaya MacMillan UC Davis
David Shaw Balance Hydrologics Truckee
Have you moved?
Are you planning to?
Don’t forget to let us know
your new address. Even if
you dutifully file a
forwarding order, it
doesn’t necessarily mean
the post office will
comply with that order.
We are seeing more mail
returned than ever
before.
Save SERCAL the time
and additional postage
and yourself the
headache of delayed
mail — send a postcard
or email the SERCAL
Administrative Office
with your new contact
information. It will make
everybody happy : )
NUTS!
Where the &$#!@
is my latest issue
of Ecesis?
E. Read & Associates Orange
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, Inc. West
Sacramento
Hedgerow Farms Winters
Helix Environmental La Mesa
Samara Restoration Arcata
URS Corporation Santa Barbara
Westervelt Ecological Services Sacramento
RBF Consulting Irvine
SUSTAINING BUSINESS $500
ESA—Mark Tucker San Diego
Integrated Environmental Services, Inc.—
Michael Hogan Tahoe City
Prunuske Chatham, Inc.—Liza Prunuske
Sebastopol
RECON Environmental, Inc. San Diego
SUMMIT CIRCLE
$1,000
DUDEK Encinitas
FINANCE REPORT January – December 2011
OPERATING INCOME
Membership Dues
2011 Conference
Regional Workshops
Miscellaneous
16,055
46,141
1,275
10
63,481
OPERATING EXPENSES
Administration
Board of Directors
Newsletter
Website
2011 Conference
2012 Conference
Regional Workshops
Memberships
Bank Charges
Miscellaneous
25,243
3,186
3,827
806
18,356
3,156
413
210
1,764
35
56,996
Thank you !
10 Ecesis Spring 2012 Volume 22, Issue 1
NET OPERATING: 6,485
Noteworthy Natural
Resource Events
SERCAL 2012 Membership
Application/Renewal Form
Complete form and payment to SERCAL and
mail to: SERCAL Administrative Office
2701 20th St., Bakersfield CA 93301
April 18 California Rangeland Coalition Spring Tour.
Mission Peak Park, Fremont. Details:
www.carangeland.org
April 19 Central Coast Rangeland Coalition Spring
Meeting: Rangeland Soils: They Aren’t Just Dirt ! Work
Ranch, San Miguel. Details: www.carangeland.org
April 20 California Native Grasslands Association: Fifth
Annual Field Day at Hedgerow Farms. 21095 County Road
88, Winters. Details: www.cnga.org or [email protected]
April 20 Application deadline: California-Pacific Section
of the Society for Range Management’s 28th Annual
Natural Resources Science Camp for High School Students
(Range Camp), June 17-22, UC Elkus Youth Ranch, Half
Moon Bay. RCD sponsorships available. Details:
www.rangelands.org/casrm/HTML/rangecamps.html
Annual Membership Dues
SERCAL’s newsletter, Ecesis, is received with ALL rates.
INDIVIDUALS
BUSINESS
Student
$15
Regular
$35
Joint Individual (Discounted)
SERCAL + Cal-IPC† $65
SERCAL + CNGA†
$70
All 3 organizations $105
Nonprofit Organization
Contributing
Sustaining
Summit Circle
†
Cal-IPC is the California Invasive Plant Council and
CNGA is the California Native Grasslands Association
May 4 California Rangeland Coalition Spring Tour:
Rominger Brothers Farms. Winters. Details:
www.carangeland.org
The following members receive additional benefits:
May 15
SERCAL Pre- Conference Field Tours
May 16–17
SERCAL’s 19th Annual Conference:
A Cross-Section of Central Valley Restoration.
UC Davis Conference Center.
www.sercal.org
Copies of each
Ecesis issue **
Category
May 6 Eighth Annual Bringing Back the Natives
Garden Tour & Native Plant Sale Extravaganza (May
5–6). Details: www.bringingbackthenatives.net
May 8–12 2012 National Mitigation & Ecosystem
Banking Conference. Sheraton Grand & Conference
Center, Sacramento. Details:
www.mitigationbankingconference.com
* Receive quarterly recognition
in Ecesis
$100 *
Sustaining
$45
$250 *
$500 *
$1000 *
Nonprofit Organization
Contributing Business
Sustaining Business
Summit Circle
No. of discounted rates
at SERCAL events
2
3
4
6
1
3
4
6
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specific individuals to be included on the mailing list.
________________________________________________________
NAME
DATE
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ADDRESS
________________________________________________________
CITY
ZIP
COUNTY
Cal-IPC Field Courses
April 24, 25 & 26 Ben Lomond Quaker Center
June 5, 6 & 7 Idyllwild at James San Jacinto Mountains
Reserve
Details: www.cal-ipc.org/fieldcourses/index.php
________________________________________________________
Friends of the Chico State Herbarium Workshops
April 14, 21, 28 & May 19
Details: www.csuchico.edu/biol/Herb/Events.html
Check enclosed (please make payable to SERCAL)
California Native Grasslands Association Workshops
May 4, 9–11, 24 & June 30 Various locations
Details: www.cnga.org
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Volume 22, Issue 1 Spring 2012 Ecesis 11
2701 20th Street, Bakersfield CA 93301-3334
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expiration date
BE THERE! — SERCAL 2012 — 15-17 May 2012
You won’t want to miss the 19th Annual Conference
of the California Society for Ecological Restoration
At the new UC Davis Conference Center
GOLD LEED-CERTIFIED GREEN BUILDING ZERO-WASTE EVENT ACCOMMODATIONS STATE-OF-THE-ART AV EQUIPMENT
FEATURING:
Register now and get
A cross-section of Central Valley
restoration, with a focus on Delta/Water
issues, grasslands, and riparian areas
the Early Bird Discount
through April 18!
New conference format with emphasis
on field tours (at no additional cost to
you) in support of technical sessions
Plenary session featuring keynote
speaker Senator Lois Wolk