Site Inventory for Bidwell Ranch
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DRAFT Site Inventory for Bidwell Ranch Bidwell Ranch Conservation and Mitigation Bank Chico, Butte County, California February 29, 2008 Prepared on behalf of City of Chico By River Partners 580 Vallombrosa Avenue Phone: (530) 894-5401 Chico, CA 95928 Fax: (530) 894-2970 [email protected] www.riverpartners.org Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................1 A. Project Overview.........................................................................................................................1 B. Relationship of Site Inventory to Other Project Documents ..........................................................3 C. Information and Data Collection Methods................................................................................5 II. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................6 A. Geographical Setting and Property Location................................................................................6 B. Cultural and Historic Resources ..................................................................................................6 C. Land Use History .................................................................................................................. 11 D. Land Use Zoning .................................................................................................................. 13 E. Land use restrictions................................................................................................................. 13 F. Recreational Uses..................................................................................................................... 15 G. Current Adjacent Land Uses ................................................................................................. 15 H. Location Relative to Regional Open Space Plans.................................................................. 19 III. PHYSICAL SETTING ............................................................................................................... 19 A. Climate ..................................................................................................................................... 19 B. Geology .................................................................................................................................... 19 C. Soils ..................................................................................................................................... 22 D. Hydrology ............................................................................................................................. 25 IV. BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .................................................................................................... 29 A. Vegetation Communities ........................................................................................................... 29 1.California Annual Grassland........................................................................................................ 29 2.Blue Oak Woodland .................................................................................................................... 30 3.Riparian Woodland...................................................................................................................... 31 4.Vernal Pool ................................................................................................................................. 32 5.Other Seasonal Wetlands............................................................................................................ 34 B. Animal Species ......................................................................................................................... 36 C. Sensitive or Special Status Species ...................................................................................... 36 1.Adobe Lily................................................................................................................................... 38 2.Ahart’s Paronychia...................................................................................................................... 38 3.Butte County Checkerbloom........................................................................................................ 39 4.Butte County Meadowfoam ......................................................................................................... 39 5.California Fairy Shrimp................................................................................................................ 40 6.Conservancy Fairy Shrimp .......................................................................................................... 41 7.Golden Eagle.............................................................................................................................. 42 8.Loggerhead Shrike...................................................................................................................... 42 9.Long-billed Curlew ...................................................................................................................... 43 10. Pallid Bat .............................................................................................................................. 43 11. Peregrine Falcon .................................................................................................................. 44 12. Swainson’s Hawk.................................................................................................................. 44 13. Western Burrowing Owl ........................................................................................................ 45 14. Western Spadefoot Toad ...................................................................................................... 46 15. Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp ...................................................................................................... 47 16. Vernal Pool Tadpole Shrimp ................................................................................................. 47 V. IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SITE THREATS...................................................................... 51 VI. IDENTIFICATION OF DATA GAPS .......................................................................................... 51 VII. CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................... 52 VIII. REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................... 53 Bidwell Ranch – Site Inventory March 5, 2008 River Partners Page i List of Tables Table 1. Site Inventory Purpose and Approaches for the Bidwell Ranch Mitigation and Conservation Bank ...............................................................................................................................................1 Table 2. Summary of Land Use History on the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California...................... 12 Table 3. Easements for the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California (Mid Valley Title & Escrow Company 2006)............................................................................................................................. 13 Table 4. Properties Adjacent to and Conservation Ownership near the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California....................................................................................................................................... 16 Table 5. Geology of Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California.............................................................. 20 Table 6. Soil Series Located within the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California................................. 23 Table 7. Comparison of 1991 (JSA 1991) and 2007 (TES 2007) Delineated Waters of the U.S. on the Bidwell Ranch Property ................................................................................................................. 28 Table 8. Potential Species to be Considered for the Bidwell Ranch Project ............................................ 37 List of Figures Figure 1: Site and Vicinity of the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California.............................................2 Figure 2. Bidwell Ranch Mitigation Bank Document Relationships...........................................................4 Figure 3: Site and Vicinity – Topographic Map Background, Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California ....8 Figure 4: Project Area – Topographic Map Background, Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California..........9 Figure 5: Project Area – Aerial Background, Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California. ......................... 10 Figure 6: Easements associated with the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California (Mid Valley Title & Escrow Company 2006). ............................................................................................................... 14 Figure 7: Conservation and Open Space Properties Near the Bidwell Ranch Property, Chico, California. ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 8. Focus Area in Southeast Chico Identified in the City’s General Plan for Residential Development................................................................................................................................