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matches the color of the
overlook railing.
Other additions
to the overlook area in-
clude two new benches
with views of the creek,
and three new tables on
the overlook platform.
The platform is now a
great location to enjoy a
picnic lunch with a view.
Finally, a new bike rack
in the shape of a salmon
is being installed to en-
hance the fish theme at
the overlook. This area
has been transformed into
a wonderful recreational
and educational destina-
tion, so next time you get
the chance, check it out!
Recent ly the
Clear Creek Gorge Over-
look has had some excit-
ing improvements. One of
the newest additions is an
educational kiosk, which
includes seven interpre-
tive panels, a tile mosaic
of the salmon lifecycle, a
shade canopy, three
benches, and a new walk-
way to get from the park-
ing lot to the overlook
platform. The interpre-
tive panels, relating to
the Clear Creek water-
shed, include general wa-
tershed facts, Native
American history, min-
ing, the Central Valley Im-
provement Project, restora-
tion projects, fish identifi-
cation, and a salmon lifecy-
cle panel that explains the
tile mosaic.
The idea behind the
tile mosaic was for visitors,
especially kids, to be able to
walk the salmon lifecycle
while parents or teachers
explain the process with
detailed information from
the panels. The tiles were
created by local artist Palul
(Paul Rideout), with bright
and vivid colors that are
incredible. The tiles are set
in colored concrete in a 9-
foot diameter circle in the
center of the kiosk. The ki-
osk is covered by a metal
21 x 21 canopy and sur-
rounded by railing thatBenchoverlookingClear
CreekGorge
Clear Creek Gorge Overlook
I N S I D E
T H I S I S S U E :
Sulphur
Creek
2
Citizen
Monitoring
3
WSRCD
Staff
3
Clear Creek
Monitoring
4
FEMA
Update
7
Archer
Fuelbreak
8
Employee
Highlight
10
Watersheds and YouS U M M E R 2 0 1 1
S P E C I A L
P O I N T S O F
I N T E R E S T :
Backbone
Fuelbreak
The Shasta
Conservation
Fund
Phase 3B
Floodway
Rehabilitation
Whole Earth
and Watershed
Festival
Grazing Leases
EducationalKiosk
TileMosaicofthesalmonlifecycle
SignatClearCreekGorge
Salmonbikerack
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P A G E 2
A total of
26,000 cubic
yards of
gravel were
removed from
the site.
WillowPond
Sulphur Creek Mitigationdiately northeast of the
Turtle Bay Nursery and
south of Turtle Bay
School. This site origi-
nally consisted of a dis-
turbed area of gravel
quarry scars associated
with the historic mining
activities at Turtle Bay.
While the depres-
sion held water, its level
varied greatly during the
year. The combination
of steep rocky banks and
extreme changes in water
level resulted in little
wetland vegetation de-
velopment within the
site.
A total of 26,000
cubic yards of gravel
were removed from thesite to build the initial
wetland structure and
increase the water hold-
ing capacity of Willow
Pond. The structure was
then lined with 5,000 cu-
bic yards of sandy loam
and planted with native
species. Willow Pond isbeing developed into a
self-sustaining native
wetland habitat.
A new walking
bridge, trails, benches
and interpretive displays
have incorporated the
site into the Turtle Bay
Arboretum. Willow Pond
is becoming a popular site
for visitors and wildlife
alike.
The WSRCD
was contracted by Cal-
trans to undertake the
mitigation for the Dana
to Downtown Highway
project along State
Route 44. This project
included new bridge
construction and sev-
eral road widening ele-
ments at the highways
crossing of the Sacra-
mento River, within
the City of Redding.
The Dana to
Downtown project re-
sulted in loss of 1.4
acres of riparian habi-
tat and 0.4 acres of wet-
lands. US Army Corps
of Engineers and Cali-
fornia Department of
Fish & Game permits
acquired for this pro-
ject specified off-site
restoration for the im-
pacted habitats. This
resulted in the require-
ment to create 1.2 acres
of wetlands and 4.2
acres of riparian habi-tat.
The wetland
mitigation site, Willow
Pond, is located imme-
Gravelquarryscarring
W A T E R S H E D S A N D Y O U
CanadaGeeseatthewetland
RingneckDuckatthewetland
Benchandinterpretive display
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Citizen Monitoring
P A G E 3
The start of the second
annual Aquatic Bioassessment
Sampling season is here! If you
are a concerned citizen interested
in learning about the health of
your local streams and are will-
ing to give up a few hours on a
Friday morning, then please join
us for fun and learning in the
great outdoors! Aquatic Bio-
assessment Sampling is a great
way to look at the physical fea-
tures of the creek in order to
gather info about the habitat
that is available for fish and
other aquatic organisms. In ad-
dition, we also collect benthic
macroinvertebrates (creek bugs),
which are sent to a certified Cali-
fornia Department of Fish &
Game laboratory to help us
gauge the health of our local wa-
tersheds. We provide all the gear
needed, all you need to bring is
plenty of water, food, and sun-
screen. Please contact our office
for more details at (530) 365-
7332 ext. 207, and hope to see
you out in the creek!
Dave DeMarGIS Specialist, Archaeologist
and Project Coordinator
Joe AndrusLead Conservation Tech I
Steve MorefieldField Supervisor
Jonathan HawkinsLead Conservation Tech
Billiejo Morefield Conservation Technician
Benjamin NewcombConservation Technician
Clark MatthewsConservation Technician
Corey LewisConservation Technician
Mary Mitchell District Manager
Rhonda DarlingChief Financial Officer
Christy Marroquin Assistant Fiscal Officer
Jack BramhallProject Manager
Ryan TeubertProject Manager
Maureen TeubertProject Manager
Rachael AschbacherAdministrative Assistant for
Grant Writing and Grant Management
Ali WarrenAdministrative Assistant
Lee DelaneyEastside Watershed Coordinator
Leslie BryanWestside Watershed Coordinator
Gretchen GarwoodProject Coordinator
Jeremey KelleyLead Conservation Tech II, GIS
Technician, and Project Coordinator
2011AquaticBioassessmentTraining
WSRCD TEAM
TheWSRCDStaffscatWillow.
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P A G E 4
PRBOMonitoring
Clear Creek Monitoringstruction, and finally, re-
storing flow into a section
of historic stream chan-nel diverted by aggregate
extraction.
Restoration of the
channel and floodplain in
combination with gravel
injections and appropri-
ate flow releases should,
in theory, initiate and
sustain natural sedimenttransport processes and
channel migration; re-
store aquatic, wetland,
and riparian habitats;
improve floodplain con-
nectivity and riparian re-
generative processes; and
restore ecological func-
tion to the riverine eco-
system. To evaluate pro-
ject success relative to
anticipated ecological
benefits, a monitoring
plan was developed and
specific monitoring objec-
tives were defined and
logically divided into
three categories for
evaluation (USBR et. al.
2000). The three catego-
ries developed include:
avian resources, geomor-
phology, and riparian
communities.
The Lower Clear
Creek Floodway Reha-
bilitation Project(LCCFRP) was divided
into four phases that
included restoration of
floodplains and upland
habitats. Phase 1 of the
project was completed in
1998 with funds provided
through the Central Valley
Project Improvement Act
and included construction of
a natural bar to reduce
stranding of juvenile salmon
and improve passage condi-
tions for adult salmon mi-
grating upstream. Phase 2,
completed in 2000 and 2001,
initiated restoration of
floodplains by filling aggre-
gate extraction pits within
the stream channel and
floodplain. Phase 3A, com-
pleted in 2002, was the first
portion of the project to in-
volve active stream channel
rehabilitation, improving
floodplain connectivity, and
revegetation of natural ri-
parian communities. Laterphases of the project were
planned to continue moving
downstream from Phase 3A,
completing channel reha-
bilitation, floodplain con-
W A T E R S H E D S A N D Y O U
The WSRCD con-
tracted with three compa-
nies to do the monitoring.The companies were Point
Reyes Bird Observatory
(PRBO), Tehama Environ-
mental Solutions (TES),
and Graham Matthews &
Associates (GMA). PRBOs
monitoring methods in-
cluded point count surveys,
species richness and bird
abundance calculations,
spot mapping, adult annual
survival and nest monitor-
ing. TESs monitoring
methods surveyed specific
transects used to measure
survival, height, and can-
opy of the plantings and to
measure the density and
canopy of natural recruiting
vegetation on the con-
structed floodplains. GMAs
monitoring methods in-
cluded topographic and ae-
rial surveying, gage installa-
tions to quantify stream
flow, assessments of bed
TESMonitoring
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Clear Creek Monitoring Continued
P A G E 5
texture, floodplain deposit size
analyses and mapping the
movement of spawning gravel.
At the sites that PRBO
monitored, their results suggest
the effects of restoration on the
avian community have been
mixed with some sites and spe-
cies showing increases and oth-
ers showing little response or
even decreases. This is due pri-
marily to each species specifichabitat needs and that the
floodplain vegetation will ma-
ture and change over time. The
final report stated that the res-
toration area is functioning
well, and made some sugges-
tions on how to improve the
current project area, and re-
commendations for future res-
toration projects. At the sites
that TES monitored their re-
sults stated that the canopy
cover on the various stages of
riparian plantings ranges from
less than ten percent to forty-five
percent. Natural recruitment con-
tributes six to eleven percent can-
opy cover. Areas of varying resto-
ration success that are not well-
explained by hydrologic factors
are likely influenced more by
variations in soil texture and, per-
haps, compaction. GMAs spawn-
ing gravel site results were listed
by priority. The top three priori-
ties were: Below Dog Gulch, belowNEED Camp, and Upper 3A. Be-
low Dog Gulch is a highly effec-
tive area where the gravel moves
out quickly and gets more ft/yr of
recharge than most injections.
This is the most promising method
to recharge the reach above
Peltier. Below NEED Camp is
part of Reach Two. Reach Two is
the most limiting reach for
achieving continuity. GMA rec-
ommended keeping Reach 2 in-
jection area full. Upper 3A am-
bient rates are too low to main-
tain desirable channel conditions
millions of dollars in restora-
tion must be locally recharged
until we achieve continuity. In-
jecting at the highest location
provides the most benefit.
GrahamMatthews&AssociatesMonitoring
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P A G E 6
Promote a
sustainable
community
with clean
water and
healthy people
for present
and future
generations.
W A T E R S H E D S A N D Y O U
with clean water and
healthy people for pre-
sent and future genera-
tions.
2. Optimize those fea-
tures of the physical and
biological environment
for the benefit and well
being of the human com-
munity within the area
covered by the Western
Shasta Resource Conser-
vation District.
3. Sustain and enhance
the resource values
within the Western
Shasta Resource Conser-
vation District, i.e. water
quality, ranching, agri-
culture, hydro-power,
forestry, fisheries, wild-
life, recreation, wetlands,
riparian areas, and his-
toric resources by pursu-
ing solutions to resource
issues that are economi-
cally feasible, environ-
mentally sound, and so-
cially acceptable, while
maintaining a liaison
with concerned regula-
tory/resource agencies
and landowners/
stakeholders. Also edu-
cating, informing, gener-
ating, and sharing infor-
mation to promote con-
servation of resources
within the above stated
goals.
The Shasta
Conservation Fund
was formed in Octo-
ber 2001 as a 501C3
non-profit and is a
sister organization
to the RCD. Its spe-
cific purpose is to
provide education, ex-
change scientific informa-
tion, and foster the con-
servation or restoration
of Western Shasta
Countys natural re-
sources, especially in the
areas of watershed im-
provement, fuels and
vegetation management,
and erosion control.
The Shasta Con-
servation Fund has three
main goals: 1. Promote a
sustainable community
The Shasta Conservation Fund
LowerClearCreekWatershedPaintedbyMartiWeidert
Whole Earth and Watershed FestivalDespite the
weather, thousands ofpeople attended this
years festival to learn
ways to live a health-
ier lifestyle, save
money and energy,
protect and restore
natural resources, and
discover how thework of many local
groups make our re-
gions communities
better places to live.
Over 100 exhibitors
were at the event in-
cluding government
agencies, businesses,educational organiza-
tions, community
groups, and local non-
profits.
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Phase 3B Floodway Rehabilitationsummer of irrigation. Some of
the willow cuttings are al-
ready over 7 feet tall.
Crew member Billiejo
Morefield has been working to
get all of the lines flushed,
emitters replaced, and weeds
Its that time of year
again to get the irrigation
system up and running out
at the 3B restoration site
along Clear Creek. The
11,800 plants that were
planted in January 2010 did
extremely well after the first
knocked back to
allow the irriga-
tion system to
run properly this
summer. The site is
looking great and the
plants are looking healthy.
FEMA Update
P A G E 7
RCD Project Managers,
Ryan and Maureen Teubert, at-
tended the Association of State
Floodplain Managers annual
conference in Louisville, Ken-
tucky the third week of May.
The conference was a great
learning experience with multi-
ple networking opportunities
with FEMA Region IX collabo-
rators, as well as agency repre-
sentatives from DWR, ACOE,other FEMA contractors, Flood-
plain Managers, and many oth-
ers. Many of the workshops they
attended during the conference
focused on outreach and educa-
tion of flood risk. As a cooperat-
ing technical partner
(CTP),WSRCD staff will be
leading the FEMA outreach ef-forts for much of Northern Cali-
fornia through collaboration
with other RCDs. One of the
highlights of the week was a
course on the newly developed
Floodplain Simulation System
a hands-on 3-D model that can
be taken to public meetings,
schools, community events, and
other public forums to demon-
strate flood risk to communities.
Maureen, Ryan and Dave
DeMar are the key staff working
on the CTP agreement with the
FEMA Regional Engineer. Re-
cent discussions about flood risk
mapping focused on the develop-
ment of a cookbook to help
rural communities seek funding
to deal with flooding issues. The
team discussed the State Water
Plan and potential outreach op-
portunities with other RCDs in
neighboring counties. One of the
first activities WSRCD com-
pleted for FEMA was the Water-shed University in October 2010,
a training workshop on how
FEMA regulations and maps are
created.
Ryan and Maureen will be
traveling to the FEMA Emer-
gency Management Institute in
Emmitsburg, Maryland for a
week in August to attend a CTP
Special Topics Course. Maureen
also submitted two abstracts to
be presented at the Annual
Floodplain Managers Association
Conference in San Diego, Califor-
nia, and both were accepted, so
she and Ryan will also be attend-ing that conference in early Sep-
tember.
Billiejostandingnexttothewillow
cuttings
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P A G E 8
Archer Road Fuelbreak
Backbone McCandless FuelbreakThe Backbone
McCandless Fuel-
break Project has agoal of reducing wild-
fire risk in a rural
area northwest of the
community of Round
Mountain and north
of Ingot. The project
is located near the
junction of Backbone
and McCandless Roadsand proceeds eastward
along Backbone Ridge
Road to Fenders Ferry
Road.
In 2003, the
WSRCD received three
grants through Shasta-Trinity National Forest to
create a 17-mile fuelbreak
on Backbone Ridge. This
project was completed in
2007. Good News: Cal Fire
was able to use the fuel-
break in 2008 to halt the
progression of the Pine
Fire.In 2009, the
WSRCD received an addi-
tional grant with federal
financial assistance pro-
vided to the California
Fire Safe Council from the
USDA Forest Service. The
grant was used to extendthe fuelbreak another 7.1
miles.
The project is re-
moving mixed conifer,
manzanita, and buckbrush
to reduce the fire hazard in
the area. The Cal Fire
Sugar Pine Conservation
Camp inmate crew is assising to make this project a
success. Completion of thi
project is expected by Oc-
tober 2011.
partment of Interior Na-
tional Parks Service.
The project is a
mile long and the main
fuels in the area are mixed
conifer stands, manzanita,
and buckbrush. The fuels
are being removed
through the efforts of the
WSRCD crew and the Cal
Fire Trinity River Conser-
vation Camp inmate crew.
This project is expected to
be complete by November
2011.
The Archer Road
Fuelbreak is located west
of Igo, California.
The projects
main goals are to create a
shaded fuelbreak and to
provide a safer egress for
residences located on a
dead-end road. In 2010,
the WSRCD was
awarded a grant with
federal financial assis-
tance provided to the
California Fire Safe
Council from the US De-
W A T E R S H E D S A N D Y O U
BeforeandafterphotosfromtheBackbone
McCandlessFuelbreak
BeforeandafterphotosftheArcherRoadFuelbre
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Grazing Leases
P A G E 9V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1
In 2004, the Department
of Fish and Game (DFG) ob-
tained 346 acres located on Balls
Ferry Road, in Cottonwood,
California. In 2008, DFG ob-
tained another 148-acre parcel
located in the same area.
The parcels have been
used for cattle grazing and hay
production on an annual basis.
The DFG has contracted with
the WSRCD to prepare a man-
agement plan, administer the
grazing contract, and oversee
certain aspects of the lands
management to improve wildlife
habitat.
In 2009, the WSRCD
created a management plan for
the 148-acre parcel. The objec-
tive of the management plan is
to maintain the property in its
existing condition providing
quality short grass habitat for
Canada geese, shorebirds, and
raptors. Currently goats and
sheep are eating blackberry and
other invasive species. This is
helping maintain the grass habi-
tat.
In 2010, the WSRCD
created a management plan for
the 346-acre parcel. The objec-
tive of the management plan is
to restore and maintain winter-
ing waterfowl habitat, protec-
tion of sensitive wetland re-
sources, control of invasive non-
native plant species, protection for
special-status wildlife and riparian
habitat protection and restora-
tion. Currently, 48 acres are hayed
twice annually on the south side of
Balls Ferry Road and grazing oc-
curs from April through October
on the north side of Balls Ferry
Road. Both activities result in
short grass and open areas, which
are ideal for the winter foraging
habitat of geese.
Cowsatcurrentgrazinglease
Goatatcurrentgrazinglease
Sheepatcurrentgrazinglease
Cowsatcurrentgrazinglease
Pastureaftercowshavegrazed
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6270 Parallel Road
Anderson, CA 96007
Phone: 530 365-7332
Fax: 530 365-7271
email: [email protected]
Web: www.westernshastarcd.org
Our Mission:
Collaborate with willing landowners,
government agencies and
other organizations to facilitate
the conservation and restoration of
Western Shasta County's natural resources.
Employee HighlightRecently Christy bought
a new home in Cottonwood
where she enjoys horseback rid-
ing and mountain biking in her
spare time with her three chil-
dren (two boys and one girl).
In October Christy will
begin her classes from National
University, where she will be
studying for her Masters Degree
in Accounting.
Christy Marroquin
started with the Western
Shasta RCD in June of 2009.
She has a BA in Business Ad-
ministration/Human Resource
Management from Simpson
College in Redding. She always
has a smile on her face and is
available to help anyone at
any time with any accounting
need.
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