Solano Conservation and Restoration Manual - Community Alliance

145 Pages·2005·2.52 MB·English

Solano Conservation and
Restoration Manual
A rural landowner’s guide to the conservation and
enhancement of natural resources
A project of
The Community Alliance with Family
Farmers The Solano Resource
Conservation District
2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Solano County RCD Fact Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Watershed Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Permits and Regulations Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Conservation and Restoration Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Upland and Rangeland Practices
Invasive Grass/Weed Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Native Perennial Grass Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Stock Pond Habitat Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Rangeland Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Fire Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rural Road Construction & Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Gully Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Headcut Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Turf Reinforcement Mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Mulching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Erosion Control Blankets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Brush Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Brush Layering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Live Fascines and Live Pole Drains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Lowland and Agricultural Land Practices
Farm Edge Native Grass Establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Hedgerows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Grass-lined Canals & Ditches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Cover Crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Vegetated Filter Strips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Habitat and Tailwater Ponds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Riparian Area Practices
Tamarisk and Arundo Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Riparian Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Live Staking and Pole Planting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Willow Wattles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Coir Rolls (Fiberschines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Brush Mattress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Reinforced Brush Layering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Brush Trenches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Rootwad Revetment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Vegetated Riprap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Native Plant List for Solano County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Plant Materials Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vendors & Suppliers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Cost-Share Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Permits and Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Appendix A, Setting Weed Control Priorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Appendix B, Stocking Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
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This manual has been produced as a part of the Watershed Stewardship Project, a collaboration of the
Community Alliance with Family Farmers and the Solano Resource Conservation District, with funding
from the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program. The design and editorial team included Timothy
Rice, Clara Okrongly, Karen Van Epen and Mark Cady. While we received valuable comments and
suggestions from our reviewers that improved the quality of this publication, any errors or ommisions are
the fault of the editors. Many thanks to our reviewers who included Tacy Currey, Solano Resource
Conservation District; Paul Lum, Solano Irrigation District; David Okita, Solano County Water Agency;
Vance Russell, Audubon California; Mary Kimball, Center for Land-Based Learning; Paul Robins, Yolo
County Resource Conservation District; Daniel Strait, US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The template for this manual is the Capay Conservation and Restoration Manual, which also
served as the source for much of the material contained herein. The Capay manual was designed
and edited by Vance Howard and Paul Robins and largely funded by the CALFED Watershed
Program, with technical drawings and illustrations by Paul Robins. It is published and available
from the Yolo County Resource Conservation District, 221 W. Court St., Suite 1, Woodland, CA
95695, or http://www.yolorcd.org.
Cover Photo: Stream bed restoration on Pleasants Creek. Photo by Will Stockwin
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INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Purpose Of This Manual
Do you find yourself constantly battling unwanted weeds on your land? Are you tired of watching the stream erode
and send your land downstream? Don’t know what to do about that gully that just gets larger every year? The
Solano Conservation and Restoration Manual provides over 30 potential solutions to these and many other resource
concerns in Solano County.
The purpose of this manual is to provide techniques to support solutions for many of the resource issues (e.g.
erosion, invasive plants) experienced in Solano County. Techniques range from weed control to habitat and sediment
ponds to streambank stabilization. Thanks to the Cache Creek Watershed Stakeholders Group, the Yolo County
Resource Conservation District, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Woodland Field Office for
letting us use their Capay Valley Conservation and Restoration Manual.
In the manual, techniques are referred to as “practices.” Take note that these practices, by themselves, are not the
solutions to the resource issues. Only after thorough research and careful planning should these practices be
employed. Think of each practice as a tool in your new conservation and restoration toolbox. You need to know
what you are doing and why you are doing it before you take the tool out of the toolbox. First, identify the
symptom (e.g. an eroding streambank, gully, or a field of starthistle). Second, figure out the source of the symptom
(i.e. the problem). Third, plan how to address the problem. Finally, choose the “tool” or “tools” that best fix the
problem. Remember, don’t treat the symptom without first addressing the problem. This will save you time, money,
and effort.
The manual has been created in a format that is easy to use, update, and share. In most cases, the essential
techniques for each practice have been condensed and refined so as to fit on one page, front and back. The
information contained on the practice pages is intended to be succinct, yet informative enough to be useful. If you
find that you are not comfortable with taking on a project based on the practice pages, refer to one of the reference
documents listed at the bottom of the front page of each practice for more detailed information. Most of the
reference documents are available in the special watershed section at the Esparto Library. The Solano County RCD
(phone) and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (Solano Field Office (phone)) can provide technical
assistance at no cost to landowners and also offer cost-share programs to help pay for implementing conservation
and restoration projects (See the Cost-Share Programs section in this manual).
This manual is a working document. It is meant to be put to use. It is also designed to be relevant and useful to the
Solano community. The manual is purposely not bound so that pages can be added as the community identifies new
needs and seeks out new solutions to resource issues. Suggestions, comments, and additions should be directed to the
Stakeholders Group and the Watershed Coordinator (See Comments page at the end of this manual).
As a final note, there are several resource concerns that are not directly addressed in this manual. These concerns
include flooding, soil quality (e.g. compaction, salinity, alkalinity, etc.), crop predation by wildlife, typical
agricultural operations, and others. It is possible that techniques to deal with these concerns will be added to this
manual in the future. We understand that there are several important techniques or issues that are only mentioned
briefly in this manual. These include irrigation management techniques, comprehensive pesticide information,
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, and soil fertility management. We encourage you to contact the
agencies and read the materials referenced throughout the manual to learn more about these techniques or issues.
How to Use This Manual
The manual does not need to be read from cover to cover to be useful. The introductory sections on the Physical
Setting and History of Solano Basic Watershed Processes, and the Permits and Regulations Overview provide useful
information on how watersheds function, some of the unique features of Solano, and the laws and regulations that
may be affected by potential work. Knowledge of watershed function and form can aid in understanding the
processes affecting your property.
With that information you can identify the causes of a problem on your property and decide what needs to be done
to rectify it. The Resource Concerns and Solutions Table provides a means for choosing the appropriate tool for the
situation. If your resource concern is not listed, refer directly to the practices. The practices are divided into three
categories based on topography and land use: Upland and Rangeland Practices, Lowland and Agricultural Land
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INTRODUCTION
Practices, and Riparian Practices. These are not mutually exclusive categories - some practices are applicable to
situations that occur in all three categories. Riparian (or streamside) practices are applicable in upland as well as
lowland areas. A list of the practices can be found on page 18.
First, search the list under the category most similar to the topography and land use where the resource concern
exists. The appropriate practice may be obvious from the title, or you may need to read about each practice to find
one that fits your project’s needs. Each practice contains five sections. On the front page you will find a description
of the practice (section 1) and a description of the conditions or situations where the practice can be effectively
implemented (section 2). The third section lists the materials and equipment required to implement the project. The
last section on the frontside of each practice page is a list of the documents referenced in writing the practice. The
backside of each practice page is dedicated to describing how to implement the practice. In some cases the
implemention section has been extended to a total of three pages to allow for a more detailed discussion of the
practice.
Additional useful information can be found at the end of the manual. These resources include native plant lists, a
listing of local plant material suppliers, erosion control products and irrigation system suppliers, contacts for
technical assistance, detailed information on permits and regulations, a description of USDA-NRCS and other cost
share programs, a glossary of terms used in the manual, and a list of useful reference materials.
Following is a compilation of the Solano County Watershed Fact Sheets put out by the Solano County Resource
Conservation District:
What is a Watershed?
Water in Solano County
How Can I Get Help for My Watershed?
Solano County Land and Soils
Wildlife in Solano County
Solano County Habitat Conservation Plan
Plants in Solano County
Stakeholders in Solano County
What Can I Do to Improve My Watershed?
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SOLANO COUNTY WATERSHED FACT SHEET
What is a Watershed?
What is a Watershed?
Think of a funnel: all the water that falls anywhere inside ends up at the bottom.A watershed works in the same
way. Each watershed is made up of the land around a body of water where all rain, snowmelt and other water
eventually flows into that body of water, (which might be a lake, pond, wetland, river, stream or even the ocean).
Every lake, pond, wetland, river and stream has its own watershed.As an example, think of land on a hill – miles
from the nearest lake.When it rains, some of the water soaks into lawns and fields. The water that is not absorbed
into the soil runs off, including snowmelt or rain that falls on driveways, roofs and other non-absorbent surfaces.
This water joins small streams and wetlands thatdrain into lakes and rivers and eventually to the ocean. Smaller
watersheds are then part of larger watersheds, with all their water eventually draining to the same place.
Why is Your Watershed Important?
All land on the planet is part of a watershed, and every one of us lives in a watershed. Our watersheds are made up
of all the plants, animals and geologic formations of the natural world, as well as all our housing, agriculture and
industry. We spend our day to day lives working and playing in the watersheds we call home. We rely on water and
other natural resources for our most basic needs and our most expansive creations and inventions. Everything we do
in our daily lives impacts the watershed we live in. The health of our watersheds and our lives are
linked.Understanding how watersheds work and how people live in watersheds helps us to manage the water and
other natural resources, as well as our own actions in the watershed. Wise watershed management is an effective and
efficient way to sustain the local economy and the health of our environment.
Who Cares about Your Watershed?
The individuals and groups who have an interest in a watershed are called stakeholders. Stakeholders in a given
watershed include those who will benefit from its resources (soil, water, vegetation and wildlife) as well as those who
will pay for land management or other changes. Farmers, landowners, urban and suburban residents, environmental
organizations, government agencies, businesses, developers, and recreational users are all stakeholders in the
watersheds where they live, work and play.
While not all of the problems listed above impact all of the watersheds in the county, the problems are present in
various degrees almost everywhere. If enough people who live, work and play in a watershed work together as
partners, we can identify concerns and problems, educate those involved and develop and implement effective
counter actions. Working watershed partnerships focus on prevention of watershed problems. This is invariably an
easier and less expensive approach than trying to cleanup or restore a watershed after damage has occurred.
Understanding Your Watershed
The watershed where you live is a dynamic and unique place. It is a complex web of natural resources - soil, water,
air, plants and animals. People are part of that web. Our everyday activities can impact the watershed’s resources,
impacting everyone’s well being and economic livelihood. You may need to consider some of the information below
when you think about the smaller watershed that you live in.
Size: How many acres does your watershed cover? How many stakeholders are involved?
Boundaries: What are the geographic boundaries of your watershed? Where does the water go?
Terrain: How steep is the land in your watershed? How fast does water drain?
Soil type: What types of soils are present in the watershed? What’s the state of ground water?
Other features: Are there filter/buffer strips, wildlife habitat, wetlands and riparian areas present?
Land uses and trends: What are the land uses in the watershed? How are they changing?
Natural resource uses: What is the state of the natural resources present in the watershed?
Stakeholder uses: How do the stakeholder live in and use the watershed?
Economics: What’s the state of the local economy? How can it be improved/sustained?
Employment: Where do people live? Where do they work? Is there adequate employment?
Attitudes: Do stakeholders believe they have a voice? Is the governance system accessible?
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SOLANO COUNTY WATERSHED FACT SHEET
Water, Water, Everywhere
Solano County enjoys a wide variety of water resources, including 33 named creeks, 35 named sloughs, four lakes
and two reservoirs. There are also numerous ephemeral/seasonal streams and sloughs. Solano County is home to the
Suisun Marsh, where salt water and fresh water mix at the Sacramento and San Joaquin River’s confluence with the
Pacific Ocean. The Suisun Marsh functions as the filter for the San Francisco Bay Delta system as it drains into the
San Francisco Bay through the Carquinez Strait.
Where Does the Water I Drink Come from?
Even with so many streams and sloughs, Solano County doesn’t have enough water for the many requirements of its
residents, agriculture and industry. Fortunately, the county used great foresight in developing the Solano Project to
deliver water throughout the county from the Lake Berryessa Reservoir in Napa County. The Solano County Water
Agency delivers this water to various contracted users throughout the county, including four of Solano County’s
seven cities, as well as the members of the irrigation district. This water is used for both drinking and agriculture.
Rio Vista uses groundwater as its main water supply. Dixon uses ground water exclusively and participates in a joint
exercise of authority with SID to supply water to the newer parts of the city. Suisun City is in a joint powers
authority with SID and all water used in the city comes from the Solano Project. The cities of Vacaville, Fairfield and
Vallejo recieve water from the Solano Project and the North Bay Aqueduct.
Who Else Uses Water in Solano County?
In addition to the needs of residents of the county, the availability of a good quality and reliable water source is
essential to the operations of many businesses. Some large water users in the county include Anheuser-Busch in
Cordelia, and Genentech in Vacaville. Water is also used in manufacturing, at the State Medical Facility in Vacaville,
at UC Davis (in Yolo County) and by agricultural operations big and small.
Do We Have Enough Water?
Normally, the Solano Project is able to supply enough water to all its contracted users. Solano County is fortunate
that Lake Berryessa has had great water storage for the last several years, sparing them the water delivery cutbacks
suffered by many users of Sierra Nevada water. As Solano County continues to grow, water will become a bigger
issue. Some private ground water users are struggling with adequate and reliable water supply. Citizens and local
governments in all the county’s watersheds will likely need to consider the availability and cost of water as they
approve new development or land usage changes.
Watersheds of Solano County
The United States Geological Survey divides Solano County into three watersheds, all of which extend into multiple
counties. Within these three officially designated watersheds are hundreds of smaller watersheds.
The Solano County Water Agency, which performs flood control planning for the county, makes its own division of
the county into five smaller watershed areas, listed below with the smaller watersheds found in each area:
Dixon, in Northeastern Solano County (drains to Putah Creek, Yolo Bypass and the Sacramento River),
including:
• Putah Creek
• The ditches maintained by the Dixon Resource Conservation District
• Duck Slough • Encinosa Creek
• Hass Slough • English Creek
• Lookout Slough • Gibson Canyon Creek
• Liberty Cut • Horse Creek
• Maine Prairie Slough ditches and drains • McCune Creek
Reclamation District 2068 ditches and drains Ulatis, in • Miller Canyon Creek
Northwestern Solano County (drains to Putah Creek • Pleasants Creek
and the Sacramento River), including: • Putah South Canal
• Alamo Creek • Sweeney Creek
• Cold Canyon Creek • Ulatis Creek
• Dry Arroyo Creek
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SOLANO COUNTY WATERSHED FACT SHEET
Montezuma Hills, in Southeastern Solano County • Union Creek
(drains to Sacramento River and Suisun Marsh), • Wild Horse Creek
including: • Lake Frey
• Lake Madigan
• Denverian Creek
• Suisun Reservoir
• Barker Slough
• Terminal Reservoir
• Bunker Slough
• Tolenas Springs
• Cache Slough
• The Suisun Marsh (Cordelia Slough, Cross Slough,
• Elkhorn Slough
Cutoff Slough, Goodyear Slough, Grizzly Slough,
• Lindsey Slough
Hasting Slough, Hill Slough, Island Slough, Lugo
• Miner Slough
Slough, Noyce Slough, Pagonia Slough, Pacific
• Shag Slough
Slough, Pelican Slough, River Slough, Roaring River
• Steamboat Slough
Slough, Sheldrake Slough, Suisun Slough, and Volanti
• Sutter Slough
Slough)
• Taylor Slough
• Grizzly Bay
• Calhoun Cut
• Honker Bay
• Esbert Cut
• Suisun Bay
• Hasting Cut
• Sacramento River
• The Big Ditch
• Hopkins Ravine
• Lucol Hollow Vallejo (drains to San Pablo Bay), including:
• Clank Hollow • Blue Rock Springs Creek
• Watson Hollow • Paddy Lake Creek
• Rindler Creek
Suisun in Western Solano County • Sulphur Springs Creek
(drains to Suisun Marsh), including: • Lake Herman
• Pine Lake
• American Canyon Creek
• China Slough
• Cook Canyon Creek
• Dutchman Slough
• Dan Wilson Creek
• South Slough
• Dug Road Creek
• White Slough
• Freeborn Creek
• Napa River
• Green Valley Creek
• Carquinez Strait
• Hennessey Creek
• Jameson Canyon Creek Watersheds in Solano County
• Laurel Creek
Very few watersheds fit neatly within county lines. Some
• Ledgewood Creek
span state lines and country borders. The United States
• McCoy Creek
Geological Survey divides Solano County into three
• Suisun Creek
watersheds, all of which extend into multiple counties.
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SOLANO COUNTY WATERSHED FACT SHEET
Within these three officially designated watersheds are hundreds of smaller watersheds. The Solano County Water
Agency, which performs flood control planning for the County, makes its own division of the county into five
smaller watershed areas: Dixon, Montezuma Hills, Ulatis, Suisun, and Vallejo. A listing of all the watersheds in
Solano County can be found in The Watersheds of Solano County.
Problems Facing Watersheds
Solano County watersheds face a variety of problems. Pollution impacts water quality, wildlife habitat and
recreational usage. Flooding leads to lost topsoil, property and structural damage and water quality problems.
Erosion leads to loss of usable land, sediment build-up downstream and loss of wildlife habitat and recreational
opportunities. Invasive exotic species of plants and animals displace native species, disrupting ecosystem function
and altering wildlife habitat. Land use conflicts cause tension between shareholders, negatively impacting the social
environment of communities.
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