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 SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 2 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 SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 3 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 SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 4 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 SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 5 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? SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 6 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? SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 7 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 SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 8 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. SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 9 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. SOLANO CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION MANUAL 10