Page Page

In the previous issue of Symbiosis, we

presented the evidence for the relationship

between open spaces and clean water. In this

issue, we want to focus on how to incorporate

what we already know about that

relationship between open spaces

and clean water into sound and

well-crafted public policies.

Let’s begin by looking at a recent

example a public policy decision which may

have resulted in a public health problem.

Spinach contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 in

California’s Central coast led to a nationwide

outbreak in 26 states, with 199 reported cases,

102 hospitalizations and 3 deaths. Besides the

unfortunate cost in human life, economic losses

to California farmers have been estimated to be

as high as 74 million dollars.

Although the investigation into

the outbreak is still continuing,

there is evidence of water

contamination. Samples of

manure taken from three cattle at

a ranch less than a mile from the suspect

spinach field precisely matched the strain of E.

coli 0157:H7 taken from infected patients.

(continued on page 2)

Open Spaces Create Clean Water—Part 2

Unwise public policy

decisions can lead to

public health issues.

Inside this issue….

1 Feature Story

2 Feature Story

(cont.)

3 From the Editor

3 Fall Chautauqua

Programs

4 Malibu Public

Access

Enhancement Plan

5 Malibu (cont.)

Edward Albert

Land Stewardship

Workshop

4 Science News

5 Volunteer

Calendar

6 Save these Fall

Dates

7 Volunteer

Happenings

8 LA River Story

9 Featured Plant and

Animal

10 Photo Gallery

Fall 2006

A gathering of Pelicans at Malibu Lagoon, where

Malibu Creek enters Santa Monica Bay.

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 22

Feature Story Continued….Feature Story Continued…...

The FDA has already expressed concern about the close

proximity of cattle ranches and agricultural fields because of

the potential contamination of irrigation and/or ground

water. Land use is a public policy decision. Unwise

decisions can lead to public health problems.

Wise land use – that’s what the Santa Monica Mountains

Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority are all about. We’re in the business

of acquiring, preserving, protecting and restoring parks and

open spaces for the benefit of the people of California. That’s

one reason why the SMMC and the MRCA Board voted to

support Proposition 84, because Proposition 84 integrates

the relationship between open spaces and clean water into

sound public policy.

What are the threats to our water quality, safety and supply?

How does open space address these threats? How does the

SMMC/MRCA use open space to address these threats?

How would Prop 84 provide funding address these threats?

Here’s a thumbnail sketch that helps illustrate the

connections. For more detailed information, the

non-partisan Legislated Analyst’s Office has provided a

summary of Prop 84’s provisions at

www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2006/84_11_2006.htm.

As a public agency, the Santa Monica Mountains

Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority are committed to the wise use of the

resources we manage for the people of California. We use

your public lands to help protect our water quality, safety

and reliability.

Threat Open Space SMMC/MRCA Prop 84

Beaches and Coastal Waters.

Storm water runoff gathers

pollutants from impervious

urban surfaces and channels

them into rivers

Allows rainwater to

infiltrate the ground, rather

than flow across

impervious surfaces

Series of riverside parks such

as Marsh Park along LA River

collect storm water runoff and

allow it to infiltrate into the

ground

Provides funds to purchase,

protect and improve

natural areas.

Reliable Water Supply.

Increased water demand

reduces underground aquifer

stores

Allows rainwater to

infiltrate the ground and

replenish the

underground water

supply

Numerous open spaces

provide areas for rainwater

infiltration.

Provides funds to purchase,

protect and improve

natural areas.

Safe & Reliable Water Supply.

Flooding, especially along the

Delta, poses a danger to our

state’s drinking water

Allows water to collect and

infiltrate, rather than flow

into flood control channels.

MRCA-managed parkland

drains into Franklin Canyon

reservoir.

Provides funds for

construction and repair of

flood control projects

Clean & Safe Water Supply.

Agricultural runoff allows

fertilizer and manure (with

fecal bacteria such as E. coli) to

enter streams and rivers

Open space at the top and

along the watershed

minimizes the

opportunities for

contamination.

ULV – top of the Malibu Creek

and LA River watershed.

Santa Clarita Woodlands – top

of the Santa Clara River

Provides funds for

improvements of

wastewater treatment

systems

Clean & Safe Water Supply.

Urban runoff from homes and

businesses contaminates

streams and rivers

Trees and fresh water

plants remove

contaminants from water

Escondido Canyon Park lies

between the Santa Monica

Mountains and Santa Monica

Bay

Provides funds for

integrated regional water

management and safe

drinking water

Page Page 33

From the Editor…..From the Editor…..

A tale of two naturalists: Steve Irwin and Frank

Hovore.

Young kids always laughed when I mimicked Steve Irwin

in my best but mangled attempt at an Aussie accent, “Krikey

- that’s a lovely Sheila”. They instantly knew who I was

imitating. That was the special magic of the Crocodile

Hunter. He was entertaining, to be sure, but his underlying

enthusiasm and passion for the natural world captured our

attention and inspired us to care too.

Steve Irwin died too soon, doing what he loved.

We recently lost another naturalist, this one closer to

home. Frank Hovore died last month of a heart attack while

on a research trip in Ecuador. Frank was greatly respected

for his environmental expertise and helped us train many

docent classes at Franklin Canyon. Among his many

accomplishments, his testimony helped convince the state

Wildlife Conservation Board to preserve Ahmanson Ranch,

which was acquired by the SMMC in 2003.

But my best memory of Frank speaks more about the kind

of person he was. Several years ago, Frank briefed me just

before the MRCA stepped in to help support the Placerita

Nature Center. As we talked, I was struck by how

passionate he was about that place. His passion didn’t come

across in wild, sweeping body language or a florid jumble of

words; that just wasn’t his style with me. His passion was

quiet but intense. He really cared about the people there –

the staff and volunteers. He really cared about the work

they were doing – and he wanted it to continue.

Frank Hovore died too soon, doing what he loved.

It seems to me the best way we can honor both men is to

continue doing our work with a renewed sense of

passion. And if we do, perhaps one day we will be

fortunate enough to have our friends say the same

thing about us.

Wendy Langhans

310-858-7272 x 115

Wendy.langhans@mrca.ca.gov

Fall Chautauqua Programs…Fall Chautauqua Programs…

Women and Children in Nature:

Creative Expression in Music, Words, and Art, Tuesday, November 21, 7:30—9:00 pm

Actress Jeanie Van Dam will present “Women and Children in Nature:

Creative Expression in Music, Words, and Art.” We invite you to come explore, through music, words,

and art, the human connection to nature from the perspective of women and children.

Animal Tracks: Keys to a dialogue with Nature Tuesday, December 19, 7:30 – 9:00 pm

Jim Lowery, author of The Tracker’s Field Guide and founder of Earth Skills, will present

“Animal Tracks: Keys to a dialogue with Nature.” Join us as we explore what it means to be

an “urban tracker” who dwells at the razor’s edge between intense focus and complete openness.

Programs will be held in the Dining Hall at Temescal Gateway Park

For more information call 310-454-1395 x 106

The program and parking are free.

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 44

Public Access to Public Parks: Malibu Parks Public Access Public Access to Public Parks: Malibu Parks Public Access

Enhancement Plan...Enhancement Plan...

Early in 2006, the SMMC proposed a Public Works Plan for

Malibu that would link five existing state, federal, and

MRCA public parks with a contiguous trail, including

provisions for trail users and park users with disabilities. It

includes provisions for overnight camping at established

camping areas in existing parkland. The parks linked by the

Coastal Slope Trail include Zuma Canyon, Ramirez Canyon,

Escondido Canyon, Solstice Canyon and Corral Canyon

Parks (for details, see maps below and on next page). This

proposal was drafted to provide a comprehensive plan

whose impact could be assessed in its entirety, then to be

submitted to the State Coastal Commission where it will be

subject to public review through established legal processes.

Trail alignments, where feasible, will follow existing trail

alignments adopted by the City of Malibu, existing public

trails and road easements. Eminent domain (condemnation)

will not be used to secure trail alignments, easements, or

rights of way.

All trails will be acquired from willing sellers by purchase or

donation, or through the regulatory process of the California

Coastal Act and/or the California Environmental Quality

Act. Campsites are proposed within the boundaries of

Ramirez, Corral and Escondido Canyon Parks and will

include self-contained toilet facilities, not new septic

facilities. A fire safety plan has been established for each

park and no camping will be allowed on Red Flag days.

There have been several public meetings on this proposal,

including a July 31 meeting with the City of

Malibu. Additional public comment was taken at the

October 23, 2006 joint Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy

and MRCA Board meeting. When the plan is finalized by

consultants it will be made available online at

www.smmc.ca.gov.

Zuma/Las Trancas

Page Page 55

Edward Albert…. Land Edward Albert…. Land Stewardship Workshop...Stewardship Workshop...

Former Santa Monica Mountains

Conservancy Board member and California

Coastal Commissioner Edward Albert passed

away in September at his home in Malibu. A

memorial service was held at Stewart Hall in

Temescal Gateway Park.

Mr. Albert was a dedicated environmentalist,

respected actor and ardent supporter of land

preservation in the Santa Monica Mountains.

He and his family lived for many years near

Escondido Canyon in Malibu.

For is role in the preservation of Escondido

Canyon, the SMMC named the area the

“Edward Albert Escondido Trail and

Waterfalls” in his honor several months ago.

We mourn his passing and are grateful for his

many years of support.

Do you own or manage land that includes natural areas, including

chaparral, grasslands, streams or forests? Want to learn more about the

ecology of your land, and how to protect it?

Come learn from experts from UC Cooperative Extension, the Mountains

Recreation and Conservation Authority, the National Park Service, LA

County Fire Department, and others! This workshop will help you assess

the current condition of and the threats to your land. It will be held on

November 3rd and 4th, 2006 from 9:15 to 5:30 pm plus 5:30-6:30 social hour.

Topics will include watersheds, vegetation, and wildlife; invasive species;

fire preparedness; caring for forested property; stream health; erosion

control; and road design and maintenance. Learn more about our new

Forest Stewardship curriculum and other tools to help you manage,

protect, and get the most out of your property.

Class-room sessions in the morning and field sessions in the afternoon,

$45.00 Registration fee includes lunch and morning and evening

refreshments. For information or to register contact Valerie Borel at 323

-260-3851 or vtborel@ucdavis.edu.

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 66

Science News You Can Use…..Science News You Can Use…..

Mapping the Black Cottonwood Genome

Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a

tree.

- Alfred Joyce Kilmer, who died in 1918

at the Second Battle of the Marne

“Trees” was published in 1913. Ninety-three years later, we

still cannot make a tree, but we can now read the blueprints.

According to the September 15th issue of Science, researchers

have sequenced the genome of the black cottonwood tree,

the third plant species and first tree to be sequenced.

To put this

achievement in

perspective, lets

travel back a few

thousand years.

When early humans

encountered wheat,

corn, and rice they

barely resembled the

crops we cultivate

today. Without

knowledge of

modern genetics it

took thousands of

years of

domestication,

hybridization, and

evolution to alter the

original genomes,

converting barely

edible weeds into crops that now feed billions. But with our

new knowledge of genetics, we now have the potential to

greatly alter the current genome to fit our needs in decades

rather than in millenniums.

The issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (or GMO’s) is

controversial, with passionate advocates on both sides. Let’s

consider some of the arguments for and against.

Let’s start by first asking, “Why black cottonwood?” First,

the Black Cottonwood has a relatively small genome,

making it easier to sequence. Second, we currently use black

cottonwood in countless ways to make our lives easier and

better. We depend on black cottonwood for plywood,

lumber, paper, and pellet fuel for power plants. Third, it has

potential for use in phytoremediation (refer to “Featured

Plant and Animal” section for details) and bio-fuel

production, which suggests we may be even more

dependant upon this tree in the future. Proponents of GMO’s view it as a agriculture revolution

capable of better providing for humanity. These people

envision forests of altered black cottonwoods that need less

water to grow, yet produce higher quality paper pulp. They

also envision cleaner air and water thanks to altered black

cottonwoods that produce better bio-fuels and conduct

more efficient phytoremediation.

Others are vocal opponents, insisting that GMO’s are

extremely dangerous for humans and the environment.

They see the damage that invasive species such as Giant

Reed (Arundo donax) have already inflicted on our Southern

California riparian habitats. These people see altered black

cottonwoods potentially out-competing natural trees and

forever destroying the balance of intricate ecosystems. These

opponents fear that altered black cottonwoods will have

buds and twigs cannot be eaten by deer or trunks not

suitable for animal burrows. Or perhaps these trees will be

less resistant to diseases or wildfire.

Both sides are equally passionate and equally convinced in

the validity of their arguments. There are a few in the

middle who see that this technology has the potential to do

great things, but the ability to do great harm. This topic

deserves serious debate, but to find the correct path, we need

passionate people to discuss the issue with passion and

humility.

Black Cottonwood Leaf

Photo Courtesy of Larry Landry

And an Example of How You Can Use It…..And an Example of How You Can Use It…..

Discuss the history of invasive plants. GMO’s could be the invasive plants of our future.

• Discuss how use of technology has led to plant and animal extinctions. Could the use of new GMO

technology be a way to our save endangered species?

Contributed by Keith Jobson

Page Page 77

Family Campfire Program Series

We Need Campfire Program Leaders! Can you help in one or more of the following ways? Prepare the wood, build the

campfire, tell stories, sing songs, lead nature games, and help roast marshmallows!

Learn how to conduct memorable campfire programs for groups of all ages.

Don’t wait, please call 310-858-7272 ext.132 if you are interested!

Kicha Rebuild in Franklin Canyon Mitzvah Day—Sunday, November 8 at 9am—?

From time to time our replica of a Tongva dwelling, the

Kicha , gets a little bedraggled from heavy visitation.

Come out and help us weave the cattail reeds over the

existing rebar structure. We will be starting the project

for Mitzvah Day . We need one person who can cut the

reeds in the lake, several people to help transport them

and others to thatch the reeds onto the structure.

Tracking Presentation by Jim Lowery Wednesday, November 8, 7pm, Franklin

Jim Lowery of Earthskills, Inc. goes over some basics of

tracking and entice the audience to incorporate tracking

into interpretive programs. No reservations necessary.

Plant Skills with Jim Lowery Thursday, November 9, 10am—5pm, Franklin

Foster a deeper connection with plants with experienced

naturalist Jim Lowery of Earthskills. Working with a

few key plants, get a full sensory experience beyond

identification. Call Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132

Seasonal Plant ID with Bob Saturday, November 11, 9:00 am, Franklin

Join MRCA volunteer and plant enthusiast Bob

Margolies on the trails in Franklin to refresh your

plant identification skills in the Autumn.

Leave the driving to us Sunday, December 3, Franklin Canyon Park 10a –4p

Join us for a ride on the Parklink Shuttle in the Santa

Monica Mountains. We’ll start in Franklin Canyon and

ride out to Malibu Creek State Park, then allow four

hours on your own to ride the shuttle and stop and visit

parks. We will meet back at Malibu Creek State Park at

3pm and return to Franklin Canyon. Families welcome.

Call Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132 to RSVP.

CPR and First Aid training Sunday, December 3, 9am –5pm, King Gillette Ranch

When patrolling remote trails on bike, horseback or foot,

it’s important to know what to do if you come across

someone who’s had an accident. Come and learn CPR

or bring your certification up to date. MRCA Ranger

Dave Updike will be the instructor. Call Angi at 310-858-

7272 ext. 132.

Mounted Volunteer Patrol (MVP) If you have a horse, and want to help patrol our parks,

this group is waiting to ride with you!

The MVP is a group of riders who provide horseback

patrol services for the Mountains Recreation and

Conservation Authority, National Park Service, and

California State Parks.

Call Ranger Jodi Thomas for more information at

310-858-7272 ext. 205

Santa Monica Mountains Nature Gift Shop Coming Soon! Just in time for Holiday Shopping!

Help support your local MRCA parks while you shop for fun nature and outdoor adventure gifts!!

Look for us inside The Sooky Goldman Nature Center at Franklin Canyon Park.

We will be announcing the date and time of our Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Soon!

Check our website for updates.

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 88

MRCA Volunteers know how

to celebrate the holidays!! Celebrate all the joy of the holiday season by

gathering with your fellow volunteers:

Northern Volunteers:

Saturday, December 16 at 10:00 am Holiday Brunch

Bring a breakfast dish to share—Location TBA

Call Wendy to RSVP at 661-799-2965

Franklin Canyon Volunteers:

Saturday, December 9, 4pm—7pm in Franklin

Canyon—Bring a dish to share, and a $20 gift if you

want to participate in a rousing gift exchange game.

RSVP to Angi at 310-858-7272 ext. 132

MBU Volunteers:

Sunday, December 10

from 4—7pm, at King Gillette Ranch.

Bring a pot luck dish to share .

Fire Volunteers:

Wednesday, December 13 at King Gillette Ranch.

Pot luck—bring a dish to share.

RSVP to Dave Updike at 310-858-7272 xt. 123

Eastern Volunteers:

Date for holiday party to be announced

Mounted Volunteer Patrol:

Date for holiday party to be announced

“ A bit of fragrance

always clings to the hand

that gives roses.”

- Chinese proverb

MRCA Volunteer Wish List - What exactly do we need? As the MRCA continues to grow, volunteer opportunities increase. Consider volunteering in new ways,

or help us to recruit new volunteers! We specifically need school and campfire program

leaders, Sooky Goldman Nature Center and Towsley Canyon Nature Center hosts, trail patrol, trail maintenance,

outreach and special events, Symbiosis mass mailing, and program marketing.

These volunteer opportunities and available now, and in need of your assistance!

If you are interested, please call 310-858-7272 ext. 132., or email angi.orton@mrca.ca.gov

ParkLINK Shuttle now connects with the San Fernando Valley this Fall

Ride the shuttle free on November 11, 12 and 13 in honor of Veteran’s Day

Shuttle will run Thanksgiving weekend—bring your family along

MORNING Connection:

Take the Orange Line every 15 minutes to the Warner Center.

Catch Metro 161 at Warner Center

Metro 161 connects with ParkLINK Shuttle at Agoura/Las Virgenes Rd

AFTERNOON Connection:

ParkLINK Shuttle connects to Metro 161 at Agoura/Las Virgenes Rd.

Metro 161 connects to Orange Line at Warner Center

For more info call 888-734-2323 or www.parklinkshuttle.com

To Connect to ParkLINK Shuttle from the Pacific Coast Highway

Take the 534 MTA bus to Malibu Village/Cross Creek (http://www.mta.net/images/534.pdf)

Page Page 99

Mountain Bike Unit receives

prestigious George B. Hartzog, Jr.

award for excellence in

volunteering

Above: The MBU members pictured left to right are: Joe

Dillman, Bill Foster and Jack Dwyer. Joe and Jack are the

last two active members from the original

members when MBU was formed in 1988. Bill is the

group’s current lead coordinator.

It was a sunny morning. It was a Saturday in late

September. It was a great day for a mountain bike

ride. But instead of being out on the trail, the

Mountain Bike Unit Volunteers for the Santa Monica

Mountains gathered indoors at the visitor center in

Thousand Oaks at the National Parks Headquarters

to receive an award for excellence in volunteering.

Nominated by NPS Volunteer Coordinator Mike

Malone, the MBU group was awarded the regional

George B. Hertzog, Jr. award for excellence in

volunteering on September 23 at 10am. George B.

Hertzog, Jr. was a Director of the National Park

Service responsible for creating the Volunteers in

Parks (aka “VIP”) program for the National Park

Service. A permanent display of the award is

prominently displayed in the NPS Headquarters

visitor center. The award ceremony was followed by

some good food, a social gathering and, of course, a

bike ride. Keep up the good work, MBU—we’re

proud of you!

There’s No Place Like Home by Angi Orton, MRCA Director of Volunteer Services

After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, I have happily

returned to coordinate volunteers for the MRCA. I

began my career in volunteer trail maintenance at

Circle X and have enjoyed every bit of the journey. I

look forward to meeting all of you and hope that I

can visit you in your parks or see you at a training or

meeting. Happy trails!

MRCA Volunteer Firefighters are

Trained to Rise to the Occasion by MRCA Supervising Ranger Dave Updike

A little over a year ago the MRCA started a

Volunteer Firefighter unit. The first group consisted

of 10 volunteers who went through extensive

training and became certified in wildland

firefighting. The Program was a 1 year pilot program

designed to give the MRCA extra trained staffing in

a moments notice for a major emergency. The

program proved to be a success in the Topanga Fire

last September when Fire Volunteers came to aid the

agencies many structures that were threatened. Now

with over 20 members the Volunteer Fire Unit logs

over 256 hours every month in trainings, equipment

maintenance, active patrol and responding to

incidents such as the most recent, the Day Fire.

Volunteers commit to one 12 hour shift a week. Fire

Volunteers also participate in campfire programs,

school programs and charity events.

Below: Dave Updike (Fire Management Officer) and

Jordan Mirochnick (Fire Volunteer) set up a portable

pump to draft pond water to fill fire engines.

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 1010

The LA River—A Main Artery

in the Heart of the City By MRCA Volunteer Allan Gluck

Downtown is the heart of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles

River is its main artery, robust in youth but hardened with

age. With historic accounts of a flow as great as the

Mississippi it teams with life. The Los Angels River is 52-

miles long, and central to the formation of Los Angeles.

Today it has become a 51-mile concrete lined channel known

to few as a river. But there are signs of life.

On Saturday, October 7 noted nature writer and activist

Jennifer Price joined by artist, author and Friends of Los

Angeles River Board Member Joe Linder led a diverse group

of about 40 to 6 key sites along the river’s course. The

diversity of artists, academics, architects, students,

government representatives, and public at large typified by

the group reflects the convergence of interest that is creating

the considerable forces that one day could result in one of the

nation’s greatest urban parks along the river’s course.

The early, unruly Los Angeles River was a seasonal flow that

flooded broad areas of Los Angeles and met the Pacific

variously from points from Ballona Creek to San Pedro. It

was, and is, fed by the watershed of the Santa Monica, San

Gabriel, and Santa Susanna Mountains. The Tongva village

of Yangna was located above the river’s flood plain near

what is now Downtown, and the pueblo of Nuestra Senora

de Los Angeles de la ProciÚncula was cited to take

advantage of its flow on an area with year-around water.

Steelhead trout were abundant.

Through a $5 billion, 30-year Army Corps. of Engineer

project starting the 1930’s almost the entire length of the river

was channelized to prevent flooding and collect storm water

run-off. The channel officially commences adjacent to the

Canoga Park High School football field at the confluence of

the Calabasas Arroyo and Bell Creek and ends in Long

Beach, a somewhat artificial legacy. Ironically today it has a

year-around flow fed mainly by ground water and natural

run-off, but mostly by the 60-million gallon per day effluent

from the Tillman Water Reclamation Plant, which filters

sewage water that Los Angeles initially receives from the

Colorado River and Owens Valley. Before the concrete was

poured only 8% of the river’s water made it to the sea.

Today 80% of the water that could be used to recharge the

groundwater and create wonderful recreational lakes

scattered throughout the city shoots out to the ocean.

In a visionary document the Bradley administration

conceived of a Master Plan for the Los Angeles River, but the

plan received no traction. Activists (particularly artist Lewis

MacAdams) started the Friends of the Los Angeles River in

1985 (folar.org). With their shoestring budget they brought

great attention to revitalization of the River as the core of Los

Angeles, as so many throughout the world have done

successfully. In the mid 1990’s the Santa Monica Mountains

Conservancy partnered with the organization North East

Trees to create small pocket parks that not only created river

side refuges but were a model illustrating the value of small,

incremental contributions to what is envisioned as a 51-mile

greenbelt through the County’s core. With the river

extending through 20 more cities and multiple county, state,

federal, and private lands along its path, much work remains

but with it the hope that each segment will have it’s own

personality.

The Los Angeles River was and is central to Los Angeles

for its history, economics, and sociology. Los

Angeles would not exist without it. It has become

our weakness but can be our greatness.

Page Page 1111

Featured Plant and Animal…..Featured Plant and Animal…..

Up a Creek

Steelhead, like most southern California residents, are

commuters. Their freeways are our rivers and streams. Adults

must journey from the ocean to freshwater tributaries to reach

their spawning grounds. Our commute becomes a nightmare

when we lose a lane due to construction. The steelhead’s

commute becomes a nightmare when access to freshwater

streams is blocked by culverts and dams or when their

spawning grounds are buried in silt from hillside construction

projects.

Steelhead travel throughout all segments of those coastal rivers

and streams that are not blocked by dams and culverts or run

dry by our own need for drinking water. They commute up

rivers, streams, and tributaries to the cool, clear headwaters to

spawn. Their eggs must remain hidden in the gravel,

surrounded by oxygen-rich water. Juveniles remain in the

stream for one to three years before moving down to estuaries to

adjust to the salinity of the ocean. Steelhead spend two to three

years in the ocean before beginning that long commute back

upstream to spawn. Because they spend time in both fresh and

salt water, steelhead are sometimes referred to as steelhead trout

or steelhead salmon in the popular press.

Their use of entire river systems and need for clean water have

earned steelhead the title “indicator species.” They use all parts

of freshwater “freeways” to hatch, grow, and move to and from

the ocean. They have specific needs when it comes to their

freeways--the waters must be cool, clear, and carrying life-giving

oxygen. If the steelhead aren’t doing well, that indicates that our

rivers and streams aren’t doing well either. To protect their

habitat, we must protect the land that drains into those

freshwater freeways to keep them running free and clear from

headlands to ocean. By taking care of the land around rivers and

streams, we give steelhead a chance to survive.

Submitted by Keliann LaConte

Black Cottonwood - Cleaning up our Messes

If you are like me, you can appreciate the majestic beauty and

the cooling shade provided by black cottonwoods. But

there’s another story going one below the surface; this tree is

now being used to clean up some of our most dangerous

messes.

Exceptional trees of this species have reached heights

approaching 200 feet and can grow as much as 12 feet in a

single year. To support such quick growth the root system

can reach 10 ft into the soil. It is this extensive root system that

has brought the black cottonwood to the attention of the

phytoremediation industry. Phytoremediation is the use of

vegetation to clean contaminated groundwater and soil.

While the process has many aspects and can be extremely

complicated, it is conceptually very simple. Plants take the

metals or organic pollutants in with water through their root

system and either trap this pollution in their tissue or utilize

the natural chemical processes in their tissue to breakdown

the pollutants. The black cottonwood is perfect for this

application because it grows fast, taking in large amounts of

water and pollutants. It also has deep roots which allow it to

“filter” soil and groundwater deep below the surface.

So, the next time you are enjoying the shade of a majestic

mature black cottonwood or spy a young sapling along the

Las Virgenes View Trail or near a stream in another one of

our parks take a moment to explain what is going on below

the surface. After all, someday you could be thanking the

black cottonwood for helping to keep our water and soil

clean of dangerous metals and organic pollutants.

Submitted by Keith Jobson

Steelhead

Illustration courtesy USDA Forest Service

Organic Pollutants

Metals H20 and Minerals

Metals

Metals

Metals

Organic Pollutants

Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page Symbiosis Fall 2006 Page 1212

A hike along a stream is a the best

place to view fall colors in our parks

and open spaces. Here are a few

plants you might see.

California Wild Roses produce seed pods

commonly known as rose hips.

Our popular full Moon hikes often start out at

sunset. This view captures the last few scattered rays

reflecting off the clouds.

California Black Walnut leaves don’t “turn” yellow.

They “are” yellow. Their yellow color is masked by

green chlorophyll, which disappears in the fall.

A few delicate

blossoms

remain, even

in the fall.

Poison oak turns bright red, due to the

production of plant pigments known as

anthocyanins.