In Partnership with the
California Department of Fish & Wildlife
and the
Tahoe National Forest
SVRCD Carman Watershed Restoration Project Phase 2
Website Narrative
The Carman Creek Watershed Restoration Phase 2 project was funded under a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposition 1 Grant with the Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District as grantee, in cooperation with the Carman Valley Watershed Partnership, and the Tahoe National Forest Sierraville Ranger District. The grant term was January 1, 2018 - April 30, 2020. Phase 2 project sites include Site #1 Folchi Meadows, Site #2 Folchi Meadows Railroad Grade, Site #4 West Fork Carman Creek, and Site #8 East Fork Carman Creek. Project sites are located in Plumas and Sierra Counties in the northern portion of the TNF Sierraville Ranger District approximately 2-miles north of Calpine, California.
Total project funding available to implement the Carman Watershed Restoration Project Phase 2 was $681,732. Total funds actually used to implement and complete the project was $654,977.49. Funding included $589,732 from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposition 1 Grant Wetland Restoration Grant Program and $92,000 of matching funds from the U.S. Forest Service Tahoe National Forest.
Large-scale meadow and stream channel restoration activities included filling eroded gullies (full gully fill) and removing railroad grade berms which had degraded the areas by lowering meadow ground water levels, truncating tributary drainage channels, and promoting conversion of wetland and riparian habitat to dry upland sagebrush scrublands. Restoration resulted in successfully reconnecting Folchi Meadows and West Fork Carman Creek remnant meadow channels and tributary drainages and restoring hydrologic function to the degraded East Fork Carman Creek area.
Approximately 10,000 lineal feet of gully was restored for all four sites combined with approximately 30,000 yds3 of upland and railroad grade borrow soil material placed into eroded gullies and incised channels. Successful restoration of the degraded meadows and streams/drainages effectively resulted in direct ecological functional benefit of over 375 acres of mountain meadow habitat and approximately 2 miles of Carman Creek stream corridors within the Carman Watershed.
Secondary project benefits include expanding and enhancing wetland an riparian habitat for sensitive plant and wildlife species including State Listed Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species such as the endangered Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) and State and Federally listed Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana mucosa). Forest Service listed sensitive plant species such as Plumas ivesia (Ivesia sericoleuca) and sticky goldenweed (Pyrrocoma lucida) will also benefit from improved soil and hydrology condition. Peat wetland-dependent sensitive plants such as Botrychium spp., Meesia triquetra, and M. uliginosa are expected to increase in frequency in hydrologically enhanced raised peat bog spring complexes located within the Folchi Meadows area.
Total project funding available to implement the Carman Watershed Restoration Project Phase 2 was $681,732. Total funds actually used to implement and complete the project was $654,977.49. Funding included $589,732 from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Proposition 1 Grant Wetland Restoration Grant Program and $92,000 of matching funds from the U.S. Forest Service Tahoe National Forest.
Large-scale meadow and stream channel restoration activities included filling eroded gullies (full gully fill) and removing railroad grade berms which had degraded the areas by lowering meadow ground water levels, truncating tributary drainage channels, and promoting conversion of wetland and riparian habitat to dry upland sagebrush scrublands. Restoration resulted in successfully reconnecting Folchi Meadows and West Fork Carman Creek remnant meadow channels and tributary drainages and restoring hydrologic function to the degraded East Fork Carman Creek area.
Approximately 10,000 lineal feet of gully was restored for all four sites combined with approximately 30,000 yds3 of upland and railroad grade borrow soil material placed into eroded gullies and incised channels. Successful restoration of the degraded meadows and streams/drainages effectively resulted in direct ecological functional benefit of over 375 acres of mountain meadow habitat and approximately 2 miles of Carman Creek stream corridors within the Carman Watershed.
Secondary project benefits include expanding and enhancing wetland an riparian habitat for sensitive plant and wildlife species including State Listed Threatened and Endangered (T&E) species such as the endangered Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) and State and Federally listed Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (Rana mucosa). Forest Service listed sensitive plant species such as Plumas ivesia (Ivesia sericoleuca) and sticky goldenweed (Pyrrocoma lucida) will also benefit from improved soil and hydrology condition. Peat wetland-dependent sensitive plants such as Botrychium spp., Meesia triquetra, and M. uliginosa are expected to increase in frequency in hydrologically enhanced raised peat bog spring complexes located within the Folchi Meadows area.
| carmancreekwatershedrstp2monitoringreportkaspp2-21-2020.pdf |
| svrcdcarmanwatershedp2postmonreportkaspp3-17-2020.pdf |
| svrcdcarmanp2close-outrep3-25-2020.pdf |
In Partnership with the
Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Tahoe National Forest
and the
Plumas National Forest
SIERRA VALLEY AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY & HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
The Sierra Valley Agricultural Water Quality and Habitat Enhancement Project was funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy through Proposition 84 funding. Additional funding was secured through the Sierra RAC and Plumas RAC bolstering the SVRCD's initiative to: improve water quality; reduce erosion; improve water conservation and water use efficiency; restore healthy vegetation biodiversity through noxious weed containment and control; enhance riparian and habitat areas along waterways and natural springs within the various project sites; and provide educational outreach to the landowners in and around Sierra Valley.
Treatments techniques included non-restricted herbicide, hand pulling and goat grazing for certified organic farms. In addition to this, the project included 5 site improvements and grazing management components to protect the riparian, reduce erosion and enhance water quality and forage diversity. This project was completed in 2017.
For more information visit SNC's website and select the "Searchable Grants Map" link located under "Our Region- Maps":
https://sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/maps/
Treatments techniques included non-restricted herbicide, hand pulling and goat grazing for certified organic farms. In addition to this, the project included 5 site improvements and grazing management components to protect the riparian, reduce erosion and enhance water quality and forage diversity. This project was completed in 2017.
For more information visit SNC's website and select the "Searchable Grants Map" link located under "Our Region- Maps":
https://sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/maps/
In Partnership with the
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
and the
Tahoe National Forest
CARMEN CREEK WATERSHED FOREST ECOSYSTEM HEALTH IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
The Carmen Creek Watershed Forest Ecosystem Health Improvement Project was funded by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy through Proposition 84 funding. In partnership with the Tahoe National Forest and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the Sierra Valley Resource Conservation District administered hand thinning and fuels reduction treatments on approximately 120 acres of the land identified in this project, as well as, improved approximately 30 acres of riparian habitat and 1.1 miles of stream within the West Fork drainage of Carmen Creek. This project was completed in 2015.
For more information visit SNC's website and select the "Searchable Grants Map" link located under "Our Region- Maps":
https://sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/maps/
For more information visit SNC's website and select the "Searchable Grants Map" link located under "Our Region- Maps":
https://sierranevada.ca.gov/our-region/maps/