red clover poco restoration project final report · 2019. 10. 26. · 160 acres of restored...

Red Clover Poco Restoration Project Final Report

State Water Resources Control Board Proposition 13 Watershed Protection and

Proposition 50 CALFED Watershed Protection Grant Programs

Agreement Number: 09-326-555-0

Awarded to: Plumas Corporation Prepared by: Plumas Corporation Staff

Quincy, CA March 26, 2013

Aerial Photo of Red Clover Poco Project – May 29, 2012

09-326-555 Final Report March 26, 2013

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Table of Contents I. Project Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 3

1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3

1.2 Background and Purpose ................................................................................................................... 3

1.3 Scope and Goals ................................................................................................................................. 3

1.4 Activities Completed .......................................................................................................................... 4

1.5 Techniques Used ................................................................................................................................ 6

1.6 Partners .............................................................................................................................................. 7

II. Management and Monitoring Practices .................................................................................................. 7

2.1 Restoration Management Practices ................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Monitoring Practices ......................................................................................................................... 10

III. Project Performance ............................................................................................................................. 15

IV. Lessons Learned .................................................................................................................................... 18

V. Outreach ................................................................................................................................................ 19

VI. Funding ................................................................................................................................................. 20

VII. Follow-up Activities .............................................................................................................................. 21

VIII. Photos ................................................................................................................................................. 22

VIV. Appendix A-Red Clover Poco Final Monitoring Report……………………………………………………………………25

X. Appendix B-Red Clover Seepage Run Summary………………………………………………………………………………53

Red Clover Poco Photo Point 1 May 21, 2012


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I. Project Summary

1.1 Introduction This report on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project was prepared in compliance with the State Water Resources Control Board Grant Agreement 09-326-555. This report does not reproduce all information submitted in quarterly reports to the State Water Resources Control Board over the course of the grant term.

1.2 Background and Purpose The Red Clover watershed is one of the seven priority subwatersheds identified in the Upper Feather River Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (2005) because of its extensive meadow floodplain system that has been un-impacted by development. The 78,005 acre Red Clover Creek watershed comprises about 4% of the approximately 2.3 million acre Feather River watershed. With an average annual precipitation of 30 inches, and 10 inches of average annual run-off (East Branch North Fork Feather River Erosion Inventory Report, NRCS 1989), the Red Clover watershed provides approximately 2% of the run-off to Lake Oroville. Lake Oroville captures most of the Feather River, and the Feather River supplies 47% of the water of the Sacramento River, a major tributary to the Bay-Delta system. Degradation in the Red Clover watershed is pervasive, with stream channel gully depths of 8-12 feet, and headcuts moving up the tributaries. Much of the existing degradation in the system can be traced back to the flood of 1955, when the system could no longer absorb flood flows in the wake of decades of extensive railroad logging and intensive grazing, along with willow and beaver eradication efforts. This situation is beginning to be reversed by restoration work. The very first Feather River Coordinated Resource Management group (FRCRM) project was constructed on Red Clover Creek in 1985. The FRCRM chose Red Clover Creek for its first project because of the massive degradation and its early history as a renowned trout stream. Significant benefits were expected from restoring the water table elevation in this wide valley using check dams. In 2003, the Goodwin Ranch requested the FRCRM to extend the 1985 project work, leading to the completion of the Red Clover McReynolds Creek project in 2006 (also funded under a Proposition 13 grant). That project resulted in 3.3 miles of channel and 375 acres of floodplain restoration. The meadow restoration work completed under this grant on Red Clover Poco is adjacent to the bottom of the Red Clover McReynolds project, extending the restored section of Red Clover Creek another 2.5 miles onto public land. The Red Clover Poco Restoration Project, together with the previously completed projects, has resulted in 6 miles of contiguous floodplain/channel restoration on a major headwater tributary to the Feather River. The purpose of the Red Clover Poco project was to restore the ecosystem function of the channel floodplain system in order to improve water quality, improve flow conditions, enhance riparian and aquatic habitats, and improve meadow productivity through improved groundwater recharge.

1.3 Scope and Goals This grant helped complete the project design, federal and state environmental compliance and project permitting, as well as project construction and monitoring. The project scope of work included: restoring 160 acres of floodplain and 2.5 miles of channel using the pond and plug technique, constructing headcut treatments to prevent the Poco Creek tributary system from further downcutting, improving 1.5 miles of the historic Genesee-Beckwourth Road with gravel, and extending and improving the existing riparian fencing. The goals of this project were to improve water quality (reduce temperature and erosion), improve flow conditions (decrease flood peaks and increase base flow), enhance riparian and aquatic habitats, and improve meadow productivity (increase groundwater recharge) through restored channel floodplain function.


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1.4 Activities Completed Table 1 lists all the work activities completed and items submitted for review over the project’s duration (June 1, 2010-March 31, 2013). These work activities were discussed and reported quarterly to the State Water Resources Control Board in the quarterly project reports. Table 1. Summary of work activities completed during the Red Clover Poco Project.

Work Item Items for Review # % Of Work Complete Date Submitted

EXHIBIT A - SCOPE OF WORK PLANS & COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS

GPS info for Project site and monitoring locations

100 08/31/2010

PAEP 100 08/31/2010 Non-pt. Source Pollution Reduction Project Follow-up Survey Form

Monitoring Plan (MP) 100 08/31/2010 Monitoring Reports 100 08/31/2010;

02/06/2012; 03/21/2013

QAPP 100 08/31/2010 Copy of final NEPA/CEQA 100 06/15-16/2010 Landowner Agreement(s) 100 07/23/2010;

09/15/2010 Applicable Permits 100 07/23/2010

WORK TO BE PERFORMED BY GRANTEE

Pre-Construction Activities

1.1.2 TAC Meeting Notes 100 08/31/2010 1.1.3 Final Project Design 100 06/15-16/2010;

09/15/2010; 09/22/2010

1.2.9 Summary Report of Baseline Condition

100 08/31/2010

2. Construction/Implementation

2.5 Pre- and Post-Construction Photos

100 08/31/2010 (pre-photos); 11/12/2010, 02/04/2011 (construction/post-photos); 06/10/2011; 10/06/2011 (photos Poco component); 02/06/2012 (pre- and post- photos pond & plug);


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Work Item Items for Review # % Of Work Complete Date Submitted

EXHIBIT A - SCOPE OF WORK 05/25/2012 (post photos of Poco Creek headcut treatments and pre-/post- photos of pond & plug; 08/29/2012 pre- and post- aerial photos; 02/08/2013 pre- and post-photo points

2.6 “As Built” Drawings for all Components

100 02/22/2011 (pond and plug component only); 02/06/2012 (pond & plug repairs); 05/25/2012 (headcut treatment and fencing components)

3. Project Monitoring & Evaluation 3.10 Final Monitoring Report 100 02/06/2012 (post-

project report); 02/06/2013 (Draft); 03/21/2013 (Final)

EXHIBIT B – INVOICING, BUDGET DETAIL AND REPORTING

A. INVOICING 100 08/31/2010; 10/29/2010; 12/16/2010; 02/22/2011; 06/10/2011; 09/15/2011; 10/06/2011; 11/15/2011; 02/06/2012; 05/25/2012; 08/29/2012; 2/15/2013; 2/16/2013; 03/26/2013

F. REPORTING 1. Progress Reports by the twentieth (20th)

100 08/31/2010; 10/29/2010; 12/16/2010; 02/22/2011; 06/10/2011; 09/15/2011; 10/06/2011; 11/15/2011; 02/06/2012; 05/25/2012; 08/29/2012; 02/08/2013; 02/11/2013; 03/26/2013

2. NRPI Survey Form 100 03/26/2013 3. Draft Project Report 100 02/06/2013 4. Final Project Report 100 03/26/2013 5. Final Project Summary 100 03/26/2013


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1.5 Techniques Used The main treatment technique used on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project is called “pond and plug”. This has been the most effective technique for fully restoring the ecosystem functions of a channel floodplain. The premise of the method is to obliterate the existing degraded stream channel gully and replace it with a series of ponds and earthen plugs. Stream flow that currently flows within the gully is re-directed into an existing remnant channel at the elevation of the meadow. Two and a half miles of degraded channel were obliterated on Red Clover Creek, resulting in 31 ponds, 31 plugs, and 160 acres of restored floodplain. The ponds provided the gully plug material, and created prime wildlife habitat with the construction of islands and/or perches where feasible. Both ponds and plugs act as floodplain area during high flow events. The footprint of project activities was minimized by keeping all heavy equipment within the confines of the work area with material transport generally not exceeding 300 feet. Top soil and existing vegetation was stockpiled during construction and spread across the plugs, as well as, manual revegetation efforts which included spreading native grass and sedge seeds, staking willows, and transplanting locally collected sedge plugs. The downstream end of the project is located in a natural valley constriction. To ensure that headcutting or end-running would not occur at this location, a 250-foot fish-passable grade control structure was built. The structure contains a riffle/pool channel with a 4% grade using 5,000 cubic yards of 3-foot minus pit run rock.

Utilizing the pond and plug technique converts sagebrush-dominated meadows back into mesic vegetation communities. This conversion improves precipitation infiltration, filters overland flow to improve water quality, reverses sediment-producing reaches of channel back to depositional sediment-storing reaches, and supports livestock grazing, as well as providing wetland and riparian habitat for wildlife species. On a broader scale the technique restores the precipitation storage capacity of the montane meadow floodplain, improving groundwater recharge.

Headcut treatments consisted of treating 11 headcuts or erosional features on two unnamed tributaries to Poco Creek, restoring a total of approximately 3 acres. Using 1-foot minus pit run rock with fines, each headcut treatment consisted of graduated sloping and additional vegetative reinforcement around the rock/soil structures to ensure long term success. Structure designs focused on utilizing bioengineering techniques (the use of living plants to perform some engineering function) that perform well and do not require frequent maintenance. Revegetation utilized existing plant material and a native seed mix. Willow stakes were taken from the project area and allowed to root in containers at a nursery for approximately a year before planting in treated channel reaches and on areas where slope stabilization occurred. The existing 1.5 mile road bed on the edge of the Red Clover Creek meadow floodplain was improved with gravel. As an historic stage coach route it could not be relocated, closed, obliterated, or otherwise affected by this project. Treating the road in this manner addressed the hydrologic and water quality issues, without destroying the cultural value and context of this linear feature. In mountain meadows such as Red Clover Valley, vegetation is a major stabilizing element. To ensure that vegetation will become well-established, grazing is being deferred for three years, or until the project’s technical advisory team determines that the project can sustain grazing. The Beckwourth Ranger District had previously addressed grazing management in the project area by creating riparian pastures in two thirds of the project area. Much of the fencing was severely deteriorated and nearly impossible to maintain by the permittee. Additional portions were directly affected by the constructed project features. Approximately 15,000 feet of fence was removed and replaced to allow the project area to be managed effectively as two riparian pastures. New grazing standards on National Forest


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lands, as well as improved grazing on private lands associated with FRCRM projects, in the watershed have also addressed this issue.

1.6 Partners Numerous local, state, and federal organizations collaborated on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project. The Red Clover Poco project was constructed on public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Plumas National Forest (PNF). Plumas National Forest and other USFS staff assisted with project design, project environmental compliance, project construction and project monitoring. Headcut treatments completed on the unnamed tributaries to Poco Creek, a tributary to Red Clover Creek, were constructed by Plumas National Forest. Plumas National Forest contributed all the rock used for the stream restoration components of the project, both for the grade control structure on Red Clover Creek and the headcut treatment structures on the Poco Creek tributaries. The improvements on the Genesee-Beckwourth Road were completed in partnership with the Plumas County Public Works Department (PCPW). PCPW raised the grade and spread surface gravel over 1.5 miles of Genesee-Beckwourth Road within the project area. Other partners who assisted with project monitoring and revegetation efforts included PRBO Conservation Science, Plumas Audubon, Trout Unlimited, California Department of Water Resources, citizen volunteers, Clover Valley Ranch, and Plumas Unified School District’s Portola Junior High students.

II. Management and Monitoring Practices

2.1 Restoration Management Practices The Red Clover Poco Restoration Project was implemented to restore the ecosystem functions of 160 acres of channel floodplain along a 2.5 mile reach of Red Clover Creek in the Upper Feather River Watershed. Similar restoration activities had been implemented successfully upstream of the Red Clover Poco project in 1985 and 2006 and this project was to extend those successes increasing functional floodplain benefits to a larger landscape scale. Maps 1 and 2 display the location of restoration management practices implemented in 2010 and 2011, respectively, and Tables 2 and 3 describe the purpose of each practice.

Portola Junior High students planting a plug with willow stakes and native sedge and grass seed on October 19, 2011.


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Map 1. Location of management practices implemented on the Red Clover Poco Project in 2010/11.

Table 2. Restoration management practices implemented in 2010/11 on the Red Clover Poco Project.

Restoration Management Practice

Restoration Management Practice Locations in UTMs

Restoration Management Practice Purpose

1. Headcut Treatments 712156 4429460 11 individual headcut features on two unnamed tributaries to Poco Creek were installed to reduce stream bank erosion and sediment transport into Red Clover Creek and improve riparian habitat.

711957 4429820

2. Ponds 711756 4227137 Ponds are borrow sites for material used to build the plugs. Ponds were excavated in portions of the degraded channel and filled with groundwater forming ponds. Islands and/or perches were constructed in some ponds to enhance wildlife habitat.

3. Plugs 711756 4227137 Plugs are constructed from


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excavated borrow material in the existing degraded channel. The borrow material filled the channel to historic meadow elevation.

4. Fencing Removal 711875 4427029 Two sections of cross-valley fencing were removed for better management of cattle.

710907 4427583

5. Fencing Replacement 711679 4427072 Two miles of old fencing was replaced with new fencing and one new cross-valley fence was installed for better grazing management and protection of riparian habitat.

6. New Road Surface 711798 4426867 The grade was raised and surface gravel was spread on 1.5 miles of Genesee-Beckwourth Road to improve drainage and protect water quality.

7. Grade Control Structure 709865 4427470 A fish passable grade control structure was constructed to step the restored channel at meadow elevation back down into the un-restored channel elevation at the bottom of the project.

Map 2. Location of management practices implemented in 2011 on the Red Clover Poco Project.


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Table 3. Restoration management practices implemented in 2011 on the Red Clover Poco Project. 2011 Restoration Management Practices

Restoration Management Practice Locations in UTMs Restoration Management Practice Purpose

8. Plug Repair 712082 4426580 711795 4427100 711166 4427590 Elevated, long duration flows during Spring 2011 initiated a headcut at the lower end of the project. The headcut moved upstream through plugs constructed in 2010. Plugs were repaired using onsite soil material, rock, and willow plantings to stabilize and return to meadow elevation.

712016 4426660 711635 4427210 710959 4427700 711989 4426730 711503 4427260 710654 4427680 711969 4226860 711438 4427310 710544 4427530 711892 4426990 711392 4427410 710412 4427500

711242 4427490 710285 4427440

9. Plug Material 710393 4427530 711231 4427450 Onsite soil material and some onsite rock used in the plug repair.

710469 4427470 711981 4426920 710585 4427500 711398 4427330 710985 4427650 711568 4427280 710722 4427640 711944 4426780 711139 4427540 711979 4426680

2.2 Monitoring Practices The primary objective of monitoring was project effectiveness in restoring floodplain function. Pervasive degradation in the Red Clover watershed has resulted in channels disconnecting from their naturally evolved floodplains, creating significant hydrologic dysfunction within the ecosystem. This condition has led to loss of riparian-dependent species (aquatic, vegetative and wildlife), diminished groundwater recharge, and a more extreme hydrograph, not only locally, but cumulatively, downstream as well. Implemented monitoring practices on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project looked at these conditions prior and after project implementation to ascertain the effectiveness of restoring the ecosystem function of the channel floodplain. The project contract was originally funded through March of 2012, but due to needed repairs completed in 2011, a one year contract extension was granted so a full season of monitoring data could be collected post all construction activities. Maps 3, 4, and 5 display the locations of the monitoring practices implemented on the Red Clover Poco Project, and Tables 4-6 describe the parameters measured as outlined in the Project Analysis and Evaluation Plan (PAEP).


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Map 3. Location of monitoring practices implemented on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project.

Table 4. Monitoring practices implemented on the Red Clover Poco Project.

Monitoring Practice Monitoring Practice Location

in UTMs Description of Monitoring Parameter

Macroinvertebrate Sampling

709110 4427870 Water quality indicator used to compare the percentage of intolerant to tolerant taxa. 711421 4427370

Water Temperature Recording

709390 4427793 Water temperatures were continuously measured between June and September annually to detect changes in max daily water temperatures. 712877 4426380

Vegetation Transects

711698 4427140 Annual 100 foot point-intercept transects measured conversion from dry to wet plant communities, as an indicator of groundwater recharge in the floodplain.

712053 4426710 710954 4427630

710430 4427470

Avian Transects

710627 4427680 Conducted by DWR pre-project avian line transect surveys were done in 2009 and 2010. Post-project surveys will be completed in 2013.

711041 4427620 711359 4427470 711582 4427340


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711848 4426980 712021 4426760 712146 4426500 712398 4426440

Storm Event Turbidity Sampling

709417 4427809 Water quality parameter measured with grab samples above and below the project during storm events to detect changes in fine sediment. 712835 4426436

Avian Point Counts

710932 4427638

Direct point count ocular surveys were conducted annually by PRBO to measure improvements in avian productivity.

711181 4427582 711358 4427388 711592 4427281 711769 4427105 711896 4426879 712072 4426686 712182 4426464 712425 4426530 712684 4426628 712836 4426436

Groundwater Wells

711705 4427037 Three existing wells were measured monthly between June and November annually to monitor changes in groundwater levels.

711624 4427115

711600 4427103

Photo Points

710563 4427430

Photo points were used to visually show landscape changes, such as reduction of sagebrush, around the vegetative transects.

710963 4427732 712088 4426434 712083 4426476 711917 4426693 710034 4427367 711745 4427151


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Map 4. Location of fish monitoring implemented on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project.

Table 5. Fish monitoring implemented on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project.


in UTMs Description of monitoring parameter

2010 Fish Sampling 710243 4427440

Repeatable fly-fishing efforts were used to estimate the number of trout in the project area.

709554 4427660 711930 4426670

2011 Fish Sampling

711904 4427000 710087 4427370 711489 4427320 712761 4426640

2012 Fish Sampling 412157 4426500 710526 4427500 711874 4426070


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Map 5. Location of continuous flow monitoring implemented on the Red Clover Poco Project.

Table 6. Continuous flow monitoring implemented on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project.


in UTMs Description of monitoring parameter

Notson Bridge CRS 705841 4432921 Continuous recording stations in the watershed record stream flow continuously throughout the year. Two eleven-year stations, at Notson and Flournoy Bridges, were used to analyze base flows and flood peaks, using comparable water years to evaluate project effects.

Flournoy Bridge CRS 684565 4438740

Taylorsville Bridge CRS (shown here for

context) 697486 4437432

Monitoring results are described in detail in the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project Final Monitoring Report in Appendix A.


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III. Project Performance The project had six project performance goals outlined in the Project Assessment and Evaluation Plan (PAEP), all six were monitoring goals. Due to project repairs needed in 2011, two years of post project monitoring was not enough to show the true benefits of the project. Since repairs were needed in Summer 2011 only one full year of post-project results were collected under this grant. Unfortunately, this did not allow adequate time for project benefits to be completely realized. It typically takes two to three years for vegetation to mature enough to provide desired habitat characteristics, and depending on the water year there may be a lag time for the meadow aquifer to fully re-hydrate. It is expected that project performance metrics will trend in a positive direction as time progresses. All parameters outlined in the PAEP to measure the project’s performance are discussed in detail in the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project Final Monitoring Report found in Appendix A. Performance Goal 1. Improve groundwater recharge in the floodplain indicated by vegetative changes within the project area from dry to wet plant communities and groundwater levels that remain within 5 feet of the meadow surface, and subside more slowly through the season than pre-project conditions.

Success: Changes in plant communities at the vegetative transects was the one metric that showed noticeable positive results during the two year monitoring period. All four vegetative transects had an increase in wet meadow dependant species and a decrease in dry dependant species, reflecting the higher groundwater table. In 2012 on all four transects there was an 84% decrease in dry dependent species and an 846% increase in mesic reliant species from 2010. The groundwater wells also showed an increase in the groundwater table and a slower decrease of groundwater through the season. Pre-project conditions measured groundwater levels within 2-4 feet of the meadow surface in June and within 1-2 feet of the surface post-project. By August prior to project construction the SE well was dry, the NW well measured 5.19 feet, and the South well measured just over 6 feet below the meadow surface. Post-construction in August 2012 the SE well was still dry, the NW well measured 4.85 feet, and the South well remained around 6 feet within the meadow surface, resulting in a 0.34 foot increase in groundwater depth at the NW well.

Benefits: The benefits of improved groundwater recharge will continue to become more evident as more wet meadow dependent plant species continue to grow and the dry plant species diminish. As these mesic plant communities mature they will provide erosion resistant ground cover, in addition to improved habitat conditions for riparian dependent wildlife and bird species. Higher sustained groundwater levels will maintain healthy vegetative conditions that provide later season forage for wildlife and livestock, as well as protect against erosion.

Shortcomings: Vegetative and groundwater conditions are dependent on cumulative water years and severity of flood events. If severe drought conditions prevailed or an extreme flood event occurred even the restored meadow conditions would likely undergo negative effects to vegetation and groundwater levels. As the project continues to mature we believe the benefits from improved groundwater recharge will reduce potential negative impacts to the project area from extreme natural conditions versus impacts that would be exacerbated in pre-project conditions. Performance Goal 2. Improve base flows by 5% in daily average flows from pre-project conditions in July to September to post-project between comparable water years at the downstream continuous recording station at Notson Bridge.

Success: This performance goal has not yet been attained. The 2002 water year (77% of normal precipitation in the Feather River basin) was compared to the 2012 water year (79% of normal precipitation). Both water years were below average with most of the 2002 precipitation falling in November through May, while the majority of 2012’s precipitation came in February through May. The average daily flow at Notson Bridge was 1.3 cubic feet per second (cfs) less in 2012 than in 2002.


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Further downstream at the Flournoy Bridge station the average daily flow was 6.3 cfs less from 2002 flows.

Benefits: Improving base flows provides late season surface water for downstream water users, while also sustaining instream conditions for fish and other aquatic life.

Shortcomings: The source of increases or decreases in base flow is difficult to determine. Yearly differences in precipitation timing and amounts, along with interactions with groundwater make it difficult to identify differences between annual variability and actual project effects. In the future, effects on the annual hydrograph should be included as a long-term metric, noting that attainment may take several years after project construction. We still expect this goal to be achieved in future years. Performance Goal 3. Attenuate flood peaks by 5% between comparable storm events at Notson Bridge.

Success: There was only one valid flood peak post project occurring on March 16, 2012 with a peak mean flow peak of 360 cfs at Notson Bridge. Each recorded flood peak from the 2000 through 2010 annual hydrographs (of daily average peak flows) was reviewed to determine if there was a comparable event to the 2012 flood peak. This was done by characterizing and comparing key climatic and hydrologic variables, including snowpack character/flow regime, precipitation intensities/ total precipitation volume, and mean daily air temperatures. The analysis identified a peak mean daily flow at Notson Bridge of 373 cfs that occurred on 2/17/2004 as the best pre-project flood event to use for comparison. Both of these flood events were the first elevated flows of their respective winter seasons.

Benefits: Flood attenuation can be expressed as one or more of several components- a reduced flood peak stage, a delay in flooding, and/or a reduction in total flow volume. There were several interesting differences between the comparable 2004 and 2012 flood peak events. First, the 2012 post-project event peak was notably higher. Second, there was indication of delay in the flow response, despite higher precipitation totals prior to the peak. Third, the 2012 post-project flow volume was 37% less total basin outflow than the 2004 storm, despite 20% more precipitation for the 8-day period. While these differences may indicate a flood attenuation effect, analysis of numerous additional flood events is needed to test if there are statistically significant changes in the hydrology of the basin. The principal change to the watershed between 2004 and 2012 was the restoration of 540 acres of floodplain function (Red Clover Poco- 165 ac. and Red Clover McReynolds- 375 ac.).

Shortcomings: Storm/flood events are inherently unique as well as infrequent, making it difficult to assess the effect of the restoration project on flood peaks. In 2004 and 2012, precipitation distribution and totals were similar, snow water content exhibited a similar increase through the month, but daily mean air temperature was slightly higher in 2012. The greatest uncertainty regarding the two storms was any difference in the progression of transient snow processes during the event, (i.e. the response of a given snowpack to variables such as absorption of initial rainfall, the point at which rainfall flows through the snow, and the point where the snow begins to melt rapidly with continuing rainfall). There is no snow pillow station in the vicinity to provide hourly/daily data on the change in snow water content. Performance Goal 4. Improve water quality through decreased water temperatures (5% in max daily temperatures), decreased fine sediment (10% reduction in turbidity), and improved macroinvertebrate communities (increased percentage of intolerant taxa).

Success: Improvements to water quality were partially met with the data collected to date, but is expected to be fully met over time as the project matures. Water temperatures decreased 2% in maximum daily water temperature from 82.5 o F in 2009 to 80.6 o F in 2012. Fine sediment was reduced 67% at the bottom of the project area in 2012 compared to the 2010 pre-project measurement. Increases between turbidity levels at the top of the project versus the bottom of the project are still being detected through the project, but the difference between top and bottom was significantly


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reduced in 2012 from pre-project conditions. The US Forest Service collected macroinvertebrate samples pre-project in 2010 and post-project in 2011. Data from the 2011 samples were not yet available for inclusion in this final report. The project outcome indicator is to have a larger percentage of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa than in pre-project conditions.

Benefits: A maximum daily water temperature over 75o Fahrenheit is lethal to a coldwater fishery. Pre-project (2009) Red Clover Creek, below the project area, saw 43 days above 75o F. Post-project (2011) there were only 15 days where maximum daily water temperature were above 75o F, benefitting stream conditions for the fishery and other aquatic life. In 2012, fifty-four days were recorded with maximum daily water temperatures above 75oF. Reduction in fine sediment benefits all aquatic life, as well as enhancing the aesthetic and recreational qualities of the watershed. A greater percentage of intolerant macroinvertebrate taxa indicate higher water quality, as they are unlikely to be present in degraded water conditions.

Shortcomings: The 2012 water year had 79% percent of normal precipitation for the year and the warmest August and September on record (over 100 years) in both Reno and Sacramento. These two factors may explain why we didn’t detect a larger improvement and the maximum daily water temperatures were so high in 2012. Turbidity is another metric whose outcome varies depending on storm intensity. It is believed that the need for repairs in 2011 in conjunction with the slow vegetative recovery was the reason for the less than anticipated reduction in turbidity levels through the project area. Unfortunately, it takes the Forest Service up to three years to get the lab analysis back on the submitted macroinvertebrate samples so post-project data was not available for this report. Performance Goal 5. Improve coldwater fishery indicated by a 50% increase in catch per unit effort over pre-project conditions.

Success: We were not successful in detecting an increase in catch per unit effort for coldwater fisheries during the grant period. The average catch per unit effort pre-project was 1.39 fish per hour. The average catch per unit effort in 2011 was 0.57 fish per hour. Average catch per unit effort in 2012 was 0.45 fish per hour. This was a 59% and 68% decrease in catch per unit effort from pre-project conditions, respectively. The increase in surface water area (and depth) from pre-to post-project conditions may be a factor in the concentration of fish, thus increasing the effort required to catch them. However, anecdotal information collected to date indicates some improvement to the fishery including post-project presence of fish-dependent species such as river otter, cormorant, kingfisher, and osprey. Of these four species, kingfisher and osprey were present in the project area prior to restoration, but not with the frequency they are now. Additional parameters important to the fishery, pond water temperatures and dissolved oxygen, were measured in 2012 to determine if the ponds provided cool water refugia for the fish. The data indicated that during the heat of the day water temperatures stay below 70oF near the bottom of the ponds. Dissolved oxygen measured at the bottom of the pond at dawn was not conducive for fish; however, since measurements were only taken when and where they were expected to be the lowest, the full picture of trout habitat within ponds is unknown. It is assumed that conditions become habitable, since fish have been caught in ponds both in this project and in pond and plug projects upstream.

Benefits: Red Clover Creek was once known as a highly productive fishery and popular recreational fishing area. An improved fishery would increase the recreational use of the project area, as well as provide foraging habitat for species with fish-dependent diets. Another anecdotal collection of data was an encounter with a recreational fisherman who caught three trout in the ponds at the bottom of the project area in late-September/early-October 2012.

Shortcomings: The change in habitat types between pre and post-project conditions makes fish sampling very challenging. The fishing effort (fish per hour) has proven to be the most replicable technique available, to date. Volunteer efforts to fish the project area have varied from year to year, as


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well as the skill level, which all factor into the measured outcome but are difficult to quantify. Project partners on the Plumas National Forest are currently discussing a potential telemetry or fish tagging effort to improve knowledge and management of trout in the context of watershed restoration. Performance Goal 6. Improve avian production by 20% in bird sightings from pre-project conditions.

Success: In 2011 there was a 33% decrease in avian sightings over pre-project conditions, but in 2012 there was a 32% increase in avian sightings from 2011. The initial reduction in avian sightings in 2011 was likely due to the fact that project re-vegetation was compromised by sustained high flows in the spring of 2011 resulting in the need for additional re-vegetation work and construction repairs in the fall of 2011. As vegetation continues to mature avian habitat is expected to increase resulting in higher usage of the project area.

Benefits: Increased avian abundance is a strong indicator of a healthy riparian/meadow ecosystem. Avian species abundance rebounded in 2012 to pre-project 2010 levels, and focal species abundance increased in 2012 from pre-project levels. With the continued decline in wetland and riparian habitats throughout the Sierra Nevada region, and the emphasis on management protection of many neotropical migrant species dependent on these habitats, the improvements measured in 2012 are strong indicators that this project will provide needed habitat in the region for riparian-dependent avian species.

Shortcomings: Because the Red Clover Poco project area had more existing riparian habitat pre-project than other non-restored areas in Red Clover Valley, it was expected that there would be an initial decrease in avian abundance post-construction due to the vegetative disturbance. However, it is also expected that once the vegetation in the project area becomes re-established this short-term effect will be reversed, as was seen in the 2012 avian survey results. Generally it takes 3-5 years for re-establishment of vegetation to affect habitat characteristics desired by avian species. IV. Lessons Learned The principal practice employed on this project is the ‘pond and plug’ technique. This technique is used to eliminate incised channels as a drain in meadows. It restores the groundwater and surface water back to the historic meadow/floodplain surface and remnant channels. The first pond and plug project in California was implemented in the adjacent Last Chance Creek watershed in 1995. Since that time, nearly 40 projects in the Sierra and southern Cascades have utilized the technique in a wide array of landscape settings and watershed sizes. Each project area has its own unique suite of characteristics which the technique is intended to accommodate. The Red Clover Poco project area has the largest watershed area of any project to date. It also has a relatively narrow floodplain relative to adjacent reaches. These two attributes combine to produce a deeper than usual flood depth in any given event. The project design addressed this challenge by increasing the number of plugs and establishing elevations that would promote flood flows being spilled onto the native floodplain first. Due to the narrow floodplain, these elevations were often established by the downstream cut perimeter of the ponds that provided the plug material. These cut perimeters were established and flagged prior to construction. The importance of these perimeter elevations was amply demonstrated during the 2011 long duration flood event. One pond perimeter was not cut out to the design elevation due to a surfeit of plug material. As a consequence, initial flood flows were shunted onto the plug prematurely. With an imbalance in water surface elevations above and below the plug, a cut was initiated. The long duration March – May flood flows allowed ample time for this cut


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to progress through 16 plugs before flows receded back to the channel. This one project sustained more damage than all previous projects combined. Frequent site monitoring visits through the winter provided a good understanding of the mechanisms that initiated the damage. The repair design identified this cut elevation issue and the correct elevations were effected as part of the project repair conducted in September 2011. Rocking vulnerable plugs also proved to be an effective safety measure that will be incorporated into future project designs. The storm event of early December 2012 provided an excellent test of the repairs. Flood depths in the project area were actually up to 6” deeper than the damaging event in 2011. All plugs were inundated and functioned as designed with no damage. Other lessons learned involved monitoring stream flows and obtaining measurable stream flow targets. Monitoring changes to stream flows due to restoration projects has attracted much interest. Even a small change in available late season surface water to downstream irrigators (e.g. 0.1 cfs) is important and valuable. In early 2013, Joe Hoffman, Plumas National Forest Watershed Program Manager, worked with Burkhard Bohm, a consulting hydrogeologist, and Ken Roby, retired Forest Service hydrologist and fish biologist to summarize and document what’s known about late season flows in restored areas in the Feather River and nearby Sierran watersheds. They found that pre and post-project trends in late season flow are inherently difficult to determine due to annual variations in precipitation, small magnitudes of late season flow, and the uncertain nature of stream and groundwater interaction. Also, changes to late season flows are very difficult to measure accurately. They also postulate that post-restoration surface and groundwater flows may take decades to become fully functional. A current study administered by the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office (expected completion in spring 2013) should provide further data on expected long-term effects of meadow improvements. Additionally, a recent PG&E study by Gary Freeman in 2010 found an average annual decrease in flow on East Branch North Fork Feather River of 23% (179,000 acre-feet) for the period of 1976-2009 when compared with the 1950-1975 period, with climatic changes and decreased snowpack cited as the causes for this decrease. Based on these findings, we have learned that when discussing stream flow targets for meadow restoration project monitoring, many years of pre-project flow data are required to accurately assess pre- to post-project flow conditions. Also, variations in subsurface geology, soil types, meadow area and slope, precipitation and surface flow regimes of individual meadows and watershed basins affect the changes to stream flow from restoration efforts; therefore, flow benefits cannot be expected to be the same across a variety of meadows. The Red Clover Poco project has engendered much interest. Lessons learned from the project for restoration have been widely disseminated through one-on-one conversations and several well attended tours and meetings that thoroughly discussed elevational construction error. On-going flow monitoring out of Red Clover Valley by the Plumas National Forest and partners will also continue to inform monitoring strategies, protocols, and expected results. V. Outreach Outreach conducted on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project included publishing news articles, hosting field trips, and participating in an informational forum on project performance. On June 1, 2011 Plumas Corporation published an article in the local Feather River Publishing newspapers about the Red Clover Poco Project and it’s response to the long duration high flows that spring. Later in June, we hosted the Sierra Nevada Alliance and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Meadow Forum Field Trip on June 15th providing information to over 60 participants about the restored and un-restored areas of


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Red Clover Valley, including meadow restoration techniques employed and proposed. This was an excellent opportunity to compare an un-restored degraded meadow with an older completed meadow restoration project and the recently restored Red Clover Poco Project area. The Red Clover Poco Project had been constructed just seven months prior and had experienced long duration high spring flows which had caused some damage to the project that was planned for repairs later that summer. This opportunity allowed for some thoughtful discussions on meadow restoration techniques, benefits, and risks. As part of our watershed education program activities, on October 19, 2011 we took fifty 8th grade students from Portola High School on a field trip of Red Clover Valley, with primary focus on the Red Clover Poco Project area. Students assisted with re-vegetation efforts on the bottom repaired plugs, staking willows and spreading native grass and sedge seed. The Feather River College watershed class toured the project in October 2010 during construction. California Department of Conservation staff Environmental Scientist, Nancy Dagle, visited the Red Clover Poco Project site twice in 2011. The first visit was on May 11th after damage from the high spring flows occurred, with the second on September 15th during the repair construction. In October 2012 when the California Conservation Corps worked on project revegetation, the crew was given a project tour explaining the purpose of the project and how their revegetation efforts contributed to the project’s success; they were also taken to an un-restored section of Red Clover Creek so they could visualize what the project area had looked like prior to restoration. Another project tour was held in November 2012 for local stakeholders to review pond and plug projects; both the Red Clover Poco and Red Clover McReynolds projects were visited. The pond and plug projects were compared with some other headcut treatment rock structures that had been installed several years ago in other places within Red Clover Valley. Interest in the meadow restoration technique called “pond and plug” employed on this project has generated further investigation from outside entities in the performance and benefits of these projects. The U.S. Forest Service conducted their own surface flow study in 2011 and 2012 on Red Clover Creek (including the Red Clover Poco Project area) headed by the Regional Forest Hydrologist. Appendix B includes a copy of the Red Clover Watershed Seepage Run Summary completed by the U.S. Forest Service. After the first year of data collection in 2011, Plumas National Forest hosted a forum to share and discuss their findings on March 29, 2012. The Forum was attended by approximately 60 people including local, state, and federal agencies and local stakeholders. Plumas Corporation, in partnership with Plumas National Forest, plans to continue monitoring the project and sharing results as the project matures and more benefits are realized. All reports associated with this project are/or will be posted on the Feather River Coordinated Resource Management website at http://www.feather-river-crm.org. VI. Funding Funding for the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project was provided by the State Water Resources Control Board and came from Proposition 13, the Coast-Machado Water Act of 2000 and Proposition 50, the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal Beach Protection Act of 2002. Matching contributions came from the U.S Forest Service-Plumas National Forest (USFS), Plumas County Department of Public Works (PCPW), CA Department of Water Resources (DWR), PRBO Conservation Sciences, Plumas

http://www.feather-river-crm.org/�


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Audubon, Trout Unlimited, Clover Valley Ranch, and volunteers. The total awarded project budget was $1,169,650. Total project expenditures were less than budgeted with a total of $1,144,666 billed to the grant. Matching funds contributed exceeded the budgeted match amount of $390,944, with total match contributions at $404,731. The U.S. Forest Service, as the project land manager, was the primary partner with $341,764 in match contributions for environmental review and documentation, permitting, monitoring and data collection, weeding and native seed collection, construction of headcut treatments, revegetation work, and rock materials. The Plumas County Public Works Department contributed $15,714 in staff time and materials for prepping the historic Beckwourth-Genesee Road for re-surfacing with gravel. The California Department of Water Resources staff contributed $24,700 to conduct pre-project bird and wildlife surveys. Post project wildlife monitoring will be conducted by DWR in 2013, so it is not reported here as match at this time. Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) Conservation Sciences and Plumas Audubon contributed $12,329 in time to conduct pre- and post-project avian surveys and reports. Volunteers, including students from Plumas Unified School District Portola Junior/Senior High School and Trout Unlimited members, donated time valued at $4,064 for assisting with fish moving, fish census, and revegetation efforts. The neighboring Clover Valley Ranch contributed $2,400 in native grass seed used for revegetation of plugs, and the grantee, Plumas Corporation, contributed $3,760 of staff time to finalize required environmental documents prior to project construction. The Red Clover Poco Restoration Project grant funds were not used to leverage any other funding; however, as mentioned in the outreach section interest in the “pond and plug” restoration technique employed on this project has generated investigations from outside entities in the performance and benefits of these projects. In 2012 a University of Nevada Reno (UNR) graduate student started studying groundwater and surface flows on pond and plug projects in the Upper Feather River Watershed, and Plumas Corporation applied for a Conservation Innovation Grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to further study and monitor project effects of pond and plug restoration. If funded, this will assist in furthering monitoring work on the Red Clover Poco Restoration Project. The grant application was submitted in October 2012 and awards are expected to be announced in March 2013.

VII. Follow-up Activities Project performance will continue to be monitored by the U.S. Forest Service and Plumas Corporation. If parameters measured do not show improvement over time, additional evaluation to determine what steps are necessary to achieve project goals would be done. Once needed steps are identified, the Forest Service would work with partners to implement and continue monitoring for success. In addition, Plumas Corporation is seeking research partners and monitoring funding to continue evaluating the effects of pond and plug restoration projects. As mentioned above in the funding section, we currently have a proposal out to the NRCS to fund a study with the University of Nevada, Reno. If funded, our hope is the study would begin this summer (2013).


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VIII. Photos

Photo 1a- Pre-project overview 7/13/2010 Photo 1b- Post-project overview 7/16/2012

Photo 2a- Pre-project meadow 7/13/2010 Photo 2b- post-project meadow 7/16/2012

Photo 3a- Pre-project remnant channel 8/2010 Photo 3b- Post-project remnant channel 7/2012


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Photo 4- Valley grade structure 2/22/2011 Photo 5- Project construction 9/7/2010

Photo 6- CCC staking willows 10/2011 Photo 7- CCC transplanting sedge plugs 10/2012

Photo 8- Poco tributary headcut pre- Site 1-1 2008 Photo 9- Poco tributary headcut post- Site 1-1 2012


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Photo 10- Poco tributary headcut pre- Site 1-3 2008 Photo 11- Poco trib. headcut post- Site 1-3 2012

red clover poco restoration project final report · 2019. 10. 26. · 160 acres of restored...

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