RESTORING CARSON MEADOWS: ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITIZATION

A report supported by the National Fish and Wildlife February 2018 Foundation

Results of a broadly-collaborative effort to prioritize meadows in the Carson River Watershed for restoration. Restoring Carson Meadows

Restoring Carson Meadows: Assessment and Prioritization

Julie Fair, Luke Hunt, Meg Hanley and Jacob Dyste 2018. Restoring Carson Meadows: Assessment and Prioritization. A report by American Rivers submitted to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

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CONTENTS CONTENTS ...... 2 INTRODUCTION ...... 3 THE CARSON WATERSHED ...... 4 METHODS ...... 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF CONDITION DATA ...... 7 PRIORITIES ...... 9 PRIORITIZATION FOR LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT TROUT ...... 14 INFLUENCE OF BEAVER ...... 14 CONCLUSION ...... 15 CARSON RIVER MEADOWS ASSESSMENT DATA ...... 17 Faith Valley ...... 17 Forestdale Meadow...... 18 Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow ...... 19 Highway 88 West Meadow ...... 20 Grover Hot Springs Meadow ...... 21 Falls Meadow ...... 22 Pleasant Valley ...... 23 Lower Fish Valley ...... 24 Lower Red Lake Creek Meadow...... 25 Dumonts Meadow ...... 26 Lower East Fork Carson Meadow ...... 27 Horsethief Canyon Meadow ...... 28 Upper Fish Valley ...... 29 Coyote Valley ...... 30 Long Valley ...... 31 English Meadow ...... 32 Poison Flat East ...... 33 Poison Flat West ...... 34 Middle Willow Creek Meadow ...... 35 REFERENCES ...... 36 APPENDIX 1: ALL MEADOW SCORES ...... 37

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INTRODUCTION Meadows of the Carson River basin are an extremely valuable component of the landscape. Meadows provide diverse habitat, including habitat critical to endangered species. They reduce peak flows during storms and soak up spring runoff, recharging groundwater supplies. Meadows filter sediment, provide forage, and are important cultural and recreational sites. However, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) estimates that half of all meadows in the Sierra Nevada are degraded and no longer provide these natural benefits (NFWF 2010). Fortunately, there are methods to restore the condition of unhealthy meadows, and investment in meadow restoration is expanding rapidly. Investorsincluding NFWF and other foundations, state and federal agencies, corporations, ranchers and land managersseek to provide the largest return on their restoration investment. Therefore, an important question is which meadows, if restored, will provide the greatest value? To answer this question, American Rivers partnered with the US Forest Service (USFS) and NFWF to develop a scorecard to rapidly evaluate meadow condition and prioritize meadows for restoration (American Rivers 2012). The method has been applied in the Yuba, Mokelumne, Kern, Tuolumne, Truckee, American and Pine Creek watersheds, and assessment is underway in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Sequoia National Forest. UC Davis has developed a database to store this “Meadow Scorecard” data (http://meadows.ucdavis.edu/assessments/map). This assessment method has been used to identify dozens of high priority meadows and thereby focused our efforts and accelerated restoration. Members of the Carson Between 2014 and 2017, American Rivers was funded by NFWF to meadows work group use the scorecard in the Carson River basin to guide investment and have identified 6 top- accelerate the pace of restoration. We assessed every accessible priority meadows and meadow in the watershed that is larger than 15 acres, 28 meadows raised $226,000 toward in all. We identified six priority meadows and established a Carson restoration of the first two meadows work group to pursue restoration of these six sites as an sites. initial objective. Meadow restoration is currently the unifying force of the Carson meadows work group, but our vision is that the group’s focus will expand beyond these six meadows to improve the health of the watershed and aid in the recovery of the special status species of the Carson Watershed, including Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT), Paiute Cutthroat Trout (PCT), Yosemite Toad, Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog (SNLYF) and Willow Flycatcher (WFC). Group members include land managers (Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and California Department of Fish and Wildlife), other state and federal agencies (US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Resources Conservation Service, Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board), non-profit organizations (American Rivers, Alpine Watershed Group, Friends of Hope Valley, Institute for Bird Populations, Trout Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy), and local agencies (the Carson Water Subconservancy District and Alpine County Board of Supervisors). The presence of the work group in the watershed has already helped to accelerate the pace of restoration. Based on our preliminary prioritization data, American Rivers and our partners have raised $226,000 for restoration planning for two high-priority sites. The purpose of this Walker Basin Meadows Condition Report is twofold. First, it provides condition data and explains why the Carson meadows work group chose the first set of meadows as the top

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priority for restoration. Second, it provides information to inform the work group for planning subsequent restoration efforts once the first group of meadows is restored.

THE CARSON WATERSHED The Carson River watershed encompasses nearly 4,000 square miles of California and Nevada, traversing five counties. The Carson River flows down the east side of the Sierra Nevada in two forks (east and west) from the high-elevation Carson Iceberg and Mokelumne Wilderness areas of the central Sierra Nevada, through Lahontan Reservoir, and into the Carson Sink wetlands in the Great Basin of Nevada. The East Fork Carson River flows from the north slopes of Sonora Peak northeast to Markleeville then on toward Highway 395. The West Fork Carson River flows from the Sierras near Carson Pass down through Hope Valley and northeast into Nevada, joining with the East Fork near Genoa, Nevada. The Carson River flows north to Carson City and then northeast to Dayton, though Lahontan Reservoir, andeventually to the Carson Sink, East of Fallon. The watershed supports approximately 250 bird species and many wildlife species, including a number of native special status species. These include federally threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) and Paiute cutthroat trout (PCT), federally endangered Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog (SNYLF), federally threatened Yosemite toad and California endangered Willow Flycatcher (WFC). Historically, LCT inhabited at least 300 miles of cold water stream habitat in the Carson watershed (Coffin and Cowan 1995). Unfortunately, LCT have been extirpated from 89% of their native range. Due to dams and diversions, introductions of exotic salmonids, channelization, and other uses of water within this basin, LCT currently occupy only six formerly-unoccupied headwater streams in the Carson watershed, where recovery populations have been reintroduced. They are also present in a few tributaries to the Walker and Truckee Rivers and have stronghold populations in Pyramid and Independence Lakes and northern Nevada. The East Fork Carson includes the only historic range for endemic PCT, which is limited to approximately 11 miles of stream habitat on Silver King Creek and tributaries, from below Llewellyn Falls to Silver King Canyon. PCT were extirpated from this historic range, but maintained a refuge population above Llewellyn Falls, where they had been introduced in the early 1900s (US Fish and Wildlife Service 2004). A restoration project to remove non-native fish below Llewellyn Falls was initiated in 2013 and is continuing, with the ultimate goal of re-establishing a self-sustaining population within their entire native range. There are four additional populations that were introduced outside the native range in Inyo National Forest and Sierra National Forest. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed LCT and PCT as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. The headwaters of the Carson watershed also support two federally listed amphibians: federally endangered SNYLF and federally threatened Yosemite Toad. Both species occupy high elevation aquatic sites, typically from 4,800 to 12,000 feet. SNYLF occupy sites in the western Sierra north of Fresno County and in the eastern Sierra from Inyo County to areas North of Tahoe. Yosemite toads are found in a 150 mile span of the Sierra from Ebbetts Pass in Alpine County in the north to Fresno and northern Inyo Counties in the south. Both species have experienced dramatic declines over the last several decades, leading to their federal listing in 2016. The USFWS designated critical habitat areas for each species that occur at very high elevation sites in the headwaters of the Carson watershed.

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The upper Carson watershed is also within the historic range of WFC, which was once common throughout much of the Sierra, but has declined steeply since the middle of twentieth century. There are three subspecies of WFC that occur in California and all three are listed as State Threatened and USFS Region 5 Sensitive in California (Riparian Habitat Joint Venture 2004). Meadows provide important breeding habitat for WFC. Researchers have noted that WFC appear to have stopped breeding at many historically occupied meadow sites throughout their range in the Sierra (Loffland et al. 2014) .

METHODS

We assessed all accessible meadows larger than 15 acres in the Carson River watershed using the Meadow Condition Scorecard (American Rivers 2012). The scorecard is a rapid field assessment method that quickly scores channel and vegetation conditions to identify impacted meadows. The scorecard is based on the framework of the EPA Physical Habitat Assessment (Barbour et al. 1999) and uses metrics from the Bureau of Land Management Multiple Indicators Monitoring (MIM) Protocol and Proper Function Conditions (PFC) methods (US Department of the Interior (USDI), 2011 and USDI- BLM, USDA-Forest Service, and USDA-NRCS 1998), as well as a vegetation indicator developed by Dave Weixelman, Forest Service Range Ecologist for Region 5 (unpublished data). The scorecard is qualitative in nature; however, the scoring is based on quantitative measurements, such as bank height, percent bare ground, and length of gullies. These measurements and methods enable multiple observers to be field-calibrated and return consistent results throughout a watershed. Meadow condition was scored using six qualitative measures that can receive a high score of 4 and a low score of 1: 1. Bank height 2. Bank stability (percent that is unstable) 3. Length of gullies and ditches (compared to the length of the channel) 4. Vegetation cover (graminoid/forb ratio) 5. Bare Ground (percent of meadow area) 6. Conifer or upland shrub encroachment (percent of meadow area) In addition, the scorecard includes a checklist of anecdotal observations, such as past restoration efforts, roads in or adjacent to the meadow, grazing observations, and evidence of beaver. For these observations, see the online assessment data for individual meadows at http://meadows.ucdavis.edu/. To begin our assessment in the Carson, we used GIS layers provided by UC Davis (Fryjoff-Hung and Viers 2012) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify all the meadows in the watershed larger than 15 acres. Initially, we identified 50 meadows. Learning from experiences in other watersheds where a number of meadows had been incorrectly delineated in the GIS data, we conducted careful analyses of aerial imagery and terrain maps, and utilized a flight through the Carson watershed to rule out incorrectly delineated meadows. We also did not include private meadows where we did not have a nexus with the landowner to gain access, or extremely remote meadows. We visited the resulting set of 33 meadows. We conducted full scorecard assessments of 27 meadows and a partial remote assessment of an inaccessible meadow (ringed by cliffs) using

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binoculars (Figure 1). The remaining five sites were either over-delineated, with actual meadow area less than 15 acres, or did not meet the definition of a meadow utilized by the scorecard. Of the 28 meadows assessed, 25 were located on public land and three were located on private land.

FIGURE 1. MEADOWS ASSESSED IN THE CARSON RIVER WATERSHED WITH THE MEADOW CONDITION SCORECARD SHOWN IN RED

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF CONDITION DATA The results for the lowest-scoring meadows (the bottom 70%) are shown in Table 1. In addition to condition data, we include the number of actively eroding headcuts. The names of the meadows prioritized for restoration appear in bold text (see the section on Prioritization, below). A score of 1 or 2 indicates either a substantial level of impact or an unusual environmental setting. For example, large areas of bare ground may be present where soils are well drained (coarse grained or steeper slopes) and where gopher activity is high. Meadows with scores in this range require a closer look to decide if there is a need for restoration, a change in management, or if the meadow condition is within the normal range for its particular site. Because information on a meadow’s historical condition is rarely available for comparison there is no absolute method to identify and evaluate impacts (aerial photographs sometimes show the progression of encroachment by upland shrubs, but channel incision almost always predates aerial photography). It often takes field visits with an interdisciplinary team to decide whether a meadow is a candidate for restoration. The purpose of the data in Table 1 is to distinguish between meadows that need a closer look and those that are in good condition. Two patterns are evident in Table 1. First, there are meadows with one attribute that scores below the rest. For example, a bare ground score of 2 stands out at Horsethief Canyon. Likewise, encroachment is an outlier in a several meadows. Meadows of this first pattern do not have an impacted channel. The second pattern is that meadows with high banks often also have unstable banks, headcuts, and eroding gullies that are a result of channel incision. (The process of incision, headcutting and erosion has been descriptively called “unravelling.”) Meadows showing this second pattern of impact are the meadows that we identify for potential re-watering, using restoration designs that reverse incision. These impacts are more important from a watershed perspective than meadows of the first pattern, because there is potential to restore meadow floodplain, a key ecological process. In addition to patterns of past impacts, headcuts are an indication of risk from future erosion. Often headcuts are a symptom of incision because after the channel has incised the beds of tributaries and swales downcut to reach the elevation of the incised channel. These headcuts may be best treated by fixing the root cause, namely incision. In other cases, for example, Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow, some of the headcuts are extending from a more recent nickpoint such as a roadbed. For these meadows, treating a headcut may be the stitch in time that saves nine.

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Water- Wilder- Bank Bank Vegetation Bare Encroach- Number of Meadow Name shed ness Height Gullies Stability Cover Ground ment Headcuts Falls Meadow East Yes 1 2 1 4 2 3 1 Pleasant Valley East No 1 2 2 4 4 3 4 Highway 88 West Meadow West No 1 3 3 4 2 2 4 Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow East No 1 3 2 4 4 3 8 Faith Valley Meadow West No 2 3 2 4 3 3 2 Lower Fish Valley East Yes 2 4 3 3 4 1 0 Clear Creek Meadow Main No 2 3 3 4 3 3 9 Forestdale Meadow West Partial 2 3 3 4 3 4 4 Grover Hot Springs Meadow East No 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 Lower Red Lake Creek Meadow West No 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 Dumonts Meadow East Yes 3 4 2 3 4 1 0 Lower East Fork Carson Meadow East Yes 3 4 2 4 3 1 0 Horsethief Canyon Meadow West No 3 4 4 4 2 3 3 Upper Fish Valley East Yes 3 3 4 3 4 1 2 Coyote Valley Meadow East Yes 3 4 4 3 4 2 1 Long Valley Meadow East Yes 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 English Meadow East No 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 Poison Flat East East Yes 4 3 4 4 4 1 2 Poison Flat West East Yes 4 4 4 3 4 2 0 Middle Willow Creek Meadow West No 4 4 4 4 4 3 2

TABLE 2. THE CONDITION AND NUMBER OF HEADCUTS FOR THE 20 LOWEST SCORING MEADOWS. NOTE THE COLOR AXIS FOR THE HEADCUT COLUMN DIFFERS FROM THE COLORS FOR THE CONDITION SCORES. MEADOWS ARE RANKED BY COVERALL CONDITION (BASED OF NUMBER LOW SCORES), WITH MEADOWS WITH THE LOWEST SCORES FIRST. MEADOWS IDENTIFIED FOR AS PRIORITIES FOR RESTORATION ARE IN BOLD TEXT.

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PRIORITIES Members of the Carson meadows work group met multiple times between 2014 and 2018, including field visits, to identify priorities and goals for restoration at individual meadows. The prioritization process began by collecting historic and current range, habitat and occurrence data for important management species, including unpublished occurrences known by agency staff. For LCT, we utilized historic and current range data from USFWS and information from California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) about potential future recovery reaches. For PCT, we utilized information from USFWS and CDFW about currently occupied reaches and historic reaches that are currently undergoing non-native removal to restore recovery populations. For SNYLF and Yosemite Toad we utilized USFWS designated critical habitat data supplemented by unpublished occurrences from agencies. For WFC, we utilized data from the Institute for Bird Populations for recent breeding season detections (since 2000) and average dispersal range delineations (Loffland et al. 2014). Using these overlay maps of species’ occurrence and habitat, and meadow condition (see Figures 2-4, following pages), we identified meadows where restoration may benefit species. We also considered existing land manager priorities and private land owner interest, as we assessed meadows on USFS, CDFW, California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks) and private land. We decided to focus on road-accessible meadows (versus meadows in wilderness areas) based on USFS priorities, and to minimize cost and logistics. Completing restoration on these initial sites will build momentum and strengthen working relationships among the work group members. We will build on this foundation to address other meadows we identified during the assessment. The meadows prioritized for restoration are shown in Tables 1 and 2 (in bold) and Figure 2.

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Management Species Meadow Name Present Reasoning Falls Meadow Historic LCT Wilderness access only WFC Dispersal Area, Pleasant Valley Historic LCT Private land; landowner is not interested in restoration at this time. Highway 88 West WFC Dispersal Area, CDFW land; within dispersal area for WFC; condition and headcuts Meadow Historic LCT indicate restoration Wet Meadows USFS land; currently occupied by SNYLF; recent WFC breeding site; Reservoir Meadow Current SNYLF, Recent WCF condition and headcuts indicate restoration; significant OHV impacts Faith Valley Recent WFC, SNYLF Critical USFS land; recent WFC breeding site; within SNYLF critical habitat; Meadow Habitat condition and headcuts indicate restoration PCT Habitat, SNYLF Critical Lower Fish Valley Habitat Wilderness access only Clear Creek Private land; historic LCT; condition and headcuts indicate restoration; Meadow Historic LCT landowner is interested in restoration Recent WFC, Potential LCT USFS/CDFW land; recent WFC breeding site; within SNYLF critical Forestdale Recovery, SNYL Frog habitat; potential site for future LCT recovery; condition and headcuts Meadow Critical Habitat indicate restoration; partial wilderness, but accessible State Parks land; historic LCT; within dispersal area for WFC; condition Grover Hot Springs WFC Dispersal Area, and headcuts indicate restoration; some restoration planning Meadow Historic LCT underway Lower Red Lake WFC Dispersal Area, USFS land; incision appears localized and risk from headcut advancement Creek Meadow Historic LCT appears low; not included in first set of sites, but group plans to revisit Dumonts Meadow Historic LCT Wilderness access only Lower East Fork Carson Meadow Historic LCT Wilderness access only Horsethief Canyon Potential LCT Recovery, USFS land; moderate risk from headcut advancement; not included in first Meadow WFC Dispersal Area set of sites, but group plans to revisit Upper Fish Valley Current PCT, SNYLF Habitat Wilderness access only Coyote Valley Current YT, PCT Habitat, Meadow SNYLF Critical Habitat Wilderness access only Long Valley PCT Habitat, SNYLF Critical Meadow Habitat Wilderness access only USFS land; low risk from headcut advancement; encroachment is sole English Meadow WFC Dispersal Area issue. Poison Flat East PCT Habitat Wilderness access only WFC Dispersal Area, Historic Poison Flat West LCT Wilderness access only Potential LCT Recovery, Middle Willow WFC Dispersal Area, CDFW land; moderate risk from headcut advancement; not included in Creek Meadow Historic LCT first set of sites, but group plans to revisit

TABLE 3. SPECIES AND/OR SPECIES HABITAT PRESENT AND THE REASONING BEHIND PRIORITIZATION IS GIVE FOR EACH MEADOW. MEADOWS IDENTIFIED FOR AS PRIORITIES FOR RESTORATION ARE IN BOLD TEXT. MEADOWS ARE IN THE SAME ORDER AS IN TABLE 1: THEY ARE RANKED BY OVERALL CONDITION, WITH LOWEST SCORES FIRST. WILDERNESS MEADOWS ARE LOCATED ON USFS LAND AND ARE IDENTIFIED IN ITALIC. SPECIES CODES: LCT=LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT TROUT, PCT = PAIUTE CUTTHROAT TROUT, YT=YOSEMITE TOAD, SNYLF=SIERRA NEVADA YELLOW-LEGGED FROG, WFC=WILLOW FLYCATCHER

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FIGURE 2. PRIORITY MEADOWS IDENTIFIED BY THE CARSON MEADOWS WORK GROUP ARE SHOWN IN ORANGE. RANGES OF IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT SPECIES ARE ALSO SHOWN. CLEAR CREEK MEADOW IS LOCATED ON A TRIBUTARY TO THE MAINSTEM CARSON EAST OF LAKE TAHOE. THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CARSON WATERSHED IS SHOWN. THE CARSON WORKGROUP DID NOT PRIORITIZE ANY MEADOWS IN THE CARSON ICEBERG WILDERNESS (EASTERN PORTION OF THE WATERSHED SHOWN IN FIGURE 4).

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FIGURE 3. MEADOWS OF THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CARSON WATERSHED (WEST CARSON AND WESTERN PORTION OF THE EAST CARSON). THE LOWEST-SCORING MEADOWS INCLUDED IN TABLES 1 AND 2 ARE SHOWN IN RED. EACH OF THESE MEADOWS HAS AT LEAST ONE LOW SCORE (1 OR 2) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MIDDLE WILLOW CREEK MEADOW, WHICH IS INCLUDED BASED ON RISK OF HEADCUT ADVANCEMENT. RANGES OF IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT SPECIES ARE ALSO SHOWN.

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FIGURE 4. MEADOWS OF THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE EAST CARSON WATERSHED. THE LOWEST-SCORING MEADOWS INCLUDED IN TABLES 1 AND 2 ARE SHOWN IN RED. EACH OF THESE MEADOWS HAS AT LEAST ONE LOW SCORE (1 OR 2). RANGES OF IMPORTANT MANAGEMENT SPECIES ARE ALSO SHOWN.

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PRIORITIZATION FOR LAHONTAN CUTTHROAT TROUT A goal of this assessment was to prioritize meadow restoration based on potential benefits to LCT. However, based on our GIS analysis and communication with species agencies, only one meadow assessed occurs on a reach that currently supports a self-sustaining population of LCT, Poison Flat West (Figure 3). The channel through this meadow is very small, with low stable banks. The only issue is sagebrush encroachment. Give the lack of impaired channel conditions, this presence of sagebrush does not appear to be due to a root hydrologic issue. Thus, we do not envision the need for a restoration project at this site to improve LCT habitat. CDFW also stocks hatchery LCT on one reach of the West Fork Carson River from Faith Valley to Woodfords and one reach of the East Fork Carson from the confluence with Silver Creek to Hangmans Bridge, just upstream of Markleeville. However, these fish are stocked for recreation, not recovery of the species. Without the eradication of non-native trout that outcompete LCT, CDFW has documented that these LCT are unlikely to become self-sustaining. USFWS and CDFW are of the opinion that it is not important to prioritize meadow restoration for these stocked populations, or for the historic range of LCT. In general, self-sustaining populations can only be established where the population can be isolated from non-native fish populations, by a natural feature, or otherwise. Rather than prioritize based on stocking locations or historic range, CDFW provided information about reaches they are considering for potential future LCT recovery. In the Carson, these include Forestdale Creek, Willow Creek and the unnamed tributary that runs through Horsethief Canyon. Forestdale Meadow is included in the first round of priority sites identified by the work group based on stream channel condition, headcuts and benefits to other species in addition to a future LCT recovery population. Neither Horsethief Canyon nor Middle Willow Creek have channel impacts, but both have headcuts with potential to migrate. The Carson meadow work group plans to revisit these sites for further assessment monitor these headcuts for movement potential.

INFLUENCE OF BEAVER During assessment, we observed seven meadows in the Carson watershed with evidence of beaver. Two are located in the East Carson watershed: Falls Meadow and Pleasant Valley. Five are in the West Carson watershed: Faith Valley, Forestdale Meadow, Upper Red Lake Creek, Red Lake and Lost Lakes Meadows. The USFS and American Rivers also observed beaver in Lower Fish Valley (East Carson watershed) and Hope Valley (West Fork Carson), which was not included in the assessment. In total nine meadows in the watershed support beaver. The meadows with beaver in the West Fork Carson are clustered in the upper watershed on the main stem West Fork Carson River (Hope Valley, Faith Valley and Lost Lakes Meadows) and its major tributaries: Forestdale Creek (Forestdale Creek Meadow) and Red Lake Creek (Upper Red Lake Creek and Red Lake Meadows). The meadows with beaver in the East Carson Watershed occur in two separated drainages. The influence of beaver activity on meadow condition is most pronounced in Upper Red Lake Creek and Red Lake Meadows. In Upper Red Lake Creek Meadow, the uppermost portion of the meadow is incised, but six beaver dams just downstream have raised the water table and wetted the majority of the meadow. In Red Lake Meadow, adjacent to Red Lake Reservoir, beaver dams that appear to have

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persisted over several years may be helping temper the influence of fluctuating reservoir levels, which can otherwise result in a knickpoint that causes instability to propagate upstream. The influence of beaver is more nuanced in other meadows. In Faith Valley and Forestdale Meadows the presence of beaver has created variable conditions based on the presence or absence of beaver dams. For example, a beaver dam in upper Faith Valley has created conditions similar to Upper Red Lake Creek, but incision and unstable banks occur downstream. In Falls Meadow, located on the main stem East Fork Carson River in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness, beaver dams only occurred on tributary side channels, perhaps due to the size and conditions of the channel. Although beaver dams are not affecting the main channel, one beaver dam on a side channel effectively arrested a headcut, preventing gullying from spreading into intact meadow. In Pleasant Valley, the private landowner indicated that he actively removes beaver dams, so this site is not a good indicator of beaver influence. Due to its remote location (ringed by cliffs), Lost Lakes Meadow was remotely assessed using binoculars. We were able to observe a large beaver dam, but could not quantitatively assess conditions on-the-ground.

FIGURE 1. BEAVER DAM FLOODING UPPER RED LAKE CREEK MEADOW (LEFT). BEAVER DAM ARRESTING HEADCUT MIGRATION ON A SIDE CHANNEL IN FALLS MEADOW (RIGHT)

CONCLUSION Together with the Carson meadows work group, American Rivers identified six priority meadows for restoration: Faith Valley Meadow, Forestdale Meadow, Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow, Highway 88 West Meadow, Clear Creek Meadow and Grover Hot Springs Meadow. The selection of these sites was based primarily on their condition as indicated by the scorecard results, with an emphasis on the categories related to channel incision and risk of headcut advancement. It also incorporated the collective input from the Carson meadows work group about land manager priorities and the interest of private landowners. Wilderness meadows were not prioritized for restoration in this first effort because of the challenges and expense associated with these difficult-to-reach sites and based on current USFS priorities. Of the additional sites not prioritized, the group identified a subset of meadows with less impaired conditions and lower risk of headcut advancement to revisit for further assessment or monitor over the longer term (Table 2). These include Lower Red Lake Creek, Horsethief

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Canyon and Middle Willow Creek Meadow. We anticipate that restoration of more complex restoration efforts, such as in wilderness areas, or restoration of less impacted sites will be fueled by the success with the first group of sites.

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CARSON RIVER MEADOWS ASSESSMENT DATA Faith Valley Faith Valley Meadow was the first meadow identified for restoration by the Carson meadows work group. It was prioritized based on impaired condition, potential to benefit WFC and SNYLF, and because it is located in the West Carson Watershed, which is a current priority for the Humboldt- Toiyabe National Forest. Faith Valley is 260-acre meadow located on the main stem West Fork Carson River at its confluence with Forestdale Creek, approximately three miles upstream of recently restored Hope Valley Meadow. As noted above, Faith Valley has an active beaver population, which has created a mosaic of meadow conditions. A beaver dam in the upper portion of the meadow is stabilizing the channel and raising the water table, but high, unstable banks occur throughout much of the downstream reach. There are also two headcuts in the upper meadow. The meadow is accessible via Blue Lakes Rd and there is a dispersed camping area along the eastern edge of the meadow that is heavily utilized during summer months, with some evidence of Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) impacts along the edge of the meadow. Faith Valley is a recent WFC breeding site, and therefore a priority for recolonization. It is also within critical habitat for SNYLF.

FAITH VALLEY: CLOCKWISE - HEADCUT, INCISION AND UNSTABLE BANKS, UPLAND MEADOW VEGETATION, LOWER BANK HEIGHT AND WILLOW,

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Forestdale Meadow Forestdale meadow was the second meadow prioritized by the Carson meadows work group. Similar to Faith Valley, it was prioritized based on impaired condition, potential to benefit WFC and SNYLF, and overlap with the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s West Carson Watershed priority. It is located in the headwaters of Forestdale Creek, approximately one mile upstream of Faith Valley. Two large beaver dams are stabilizing and flooding the upper reaches of the meadow, but the lower reach is drier, with high banks and a four of headcuts occurring on side channels. It appears that a beaver dam at the downstream end has blown out, which may have contributed to these conditions. Forestdale meadow is located partially on CDFW land and partially in the Mokelumne Wilderness (USFS land), but unlike the other wilderness meadows assessed, is accessible via an OHV route at the downstream end. Faith Valley is a recent WFC breeding site and is located within critical habitat for SNYLF. It is also listed as a potential reach for LCT recovery in the Recovery Plan for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Coffin and Cowan 1995). The USFS has also documented a population of SNYLF in the headwaters of Forestdale Creek, above the meadow.

FORESTDALE MEADOW: CLOCKWISE – HIGH BANKS IN LOWER MEADOW, HEADCUT MID-MEADOW, REMNANT BEAVER DAM, VIEW ACROSS VALLEY

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Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow is located along the eastern edge of Wet Meadows Reservoir in the upper reaches of the Pleasant Valley Creek drainage near the Sierra crest. Three main channels drain the slopes above the reservoir. The northernmost tributary contributes the most flow and drains to an area of intact wet meadow at the edge of the reservoir. However, upstream of this area the channel becomes gullied with a number of large headcuts along the channel. The other two channels are incised throughout most of their length (up to 12 feet) with large headcuts occurring on side channels. An OHV route runs along the eastern side of the meadow and appears to be contributing to gullying and widening of the middle channel. The meadow area contains height headcuts, most of which are large (2-12 feet high). The meadow is a recent WFC breeding site and is within critical habitat for SNYLF. The USFS has documented a population of toads utilizing the reservoir and expects that restoration of the meadow would benefit this population.

WET MEADOWS RESERVOIR MEADOW: CLOCKWISE - GULLYING AT ROAD, LOOKING DOWNSTREAM AT GULLY, INCISION ON SOUTHERN CHANNEL, 10 FOOT HEADCUT, WET MEADOW AT NORTHERN CHANNEL, ROAD CAPTURING FLOW,

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Highway 88 West Meadow Highway 88 West Meadow is located on an unnamed tributary to the West Fork Carson. It is bisected by Highway 88, with streamflow occurring on both sides of the highway, then reconnecting downstream. The western, upslope portion of the meadow is drier, particularly in the upstream and middle reaches. Streamflow occupies a very straight channel along the Highway 88 berm and appears incised (up to four feet) through the upper section of the meadow. Sagebrush occurs up to the main channel and a series of headcuts are migrating up side channels. The lower section of this portion of the meadow is wetter and less incised before it flows under Highway 88 to join the flow on the east side. The portion of the meadow to the east of Highway 88 is much wetter and bank height is low. Highway 88 West Meadow is within the average dispersal area for WFC and is within the historic range for LCT. It is located on CDFW land.

HIGHWAY 88 WEST: INCISED CHANNEL IN WESTERN MEADOW SEGMENT, HEADCUT, SAGE ENCROACHMENT, VEGETATION IN WESTERN MEADOW SEGMENT, VEGETATION IN EASTERN MEADOW SEGMENT

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Grover Hot Springs Meadow Grover Hot Springs Meadow is a sloped meadow with a thermal hot spring in the southeastern portion of the meadow. It is located on Hot Springs Creek in Grover Hot Springs State Park, a popular recreation area. Roads flank the meadow to the south, west and north and there are trails in and around the meadow. The channel is incised up to eight feet through the meadow with some unstable banks. There are three headcuts eroding side channels that range from 1-3 feet high. It is within the average dispersal area for WFC and is within the historic range for LCT. In addition, California State Parks is interested in restoration and is already planning to stabilize headcuts as part of a project to install an ADA-accessible trail at the site.

GROVER HOTSPRINGS: CLOCKWISE – MEADOW VEGETATION, STREAMCHANNEL, INCISION, HEADCUT

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Falls Meadow Falls Meadow was the lowest scoring meadow in the Carson Watershed, but it is also located approximately eight miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness, making it one of the most remote and inaccessible. It is a 95-acre meadow located on the main stem East Fork Carson River, just below Carson Falls. The stream channel is incised by more than two feet throughout the meadow, with dry meadow vegetation that is disconnected from the water table. Banks are unstable and gully channels occur outside the main channel. As noted above, beaver have effectively stabilized one headcut on a side channel in the lower meadow. Although Falls Meadow is within the historic range for LCT, it is separated from the current LCT-occupied reach upstream by Carson Falls, which provides an important natural barrier to non-native trout species. Falls Meadow and the other meadows located on the main steam East Fork Carson in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness (Dumonts and Lower East Fork Carson Meadow) are located within the Dumont grazing Allotment, which has seasonal sheep runs.

FALLS MEADOW: CLOCKWISE – REPRESENTATIVE REACH, BEAVER DAM STABILIZING A HEADCUT, 3 FOOT BANK, BARE GROUND AND UPLAND VEGETATION, INCISION

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Pleasant Valley Pleasant Valley is a 175-acre privately owned meadow located on Pleasant Valley Creek in the East Carson Watershed. A portion of the meadow is leased for grazing and supports 50 head of cattle. The landowner indicated that the meadow has been grazed for over 100 years. It was one of the lowest scoring meadows in the Carson watershed, with high unstable banks up to six feet. There are a number of eroding side channels and at least four headcuts ranging from six inches to six feet high. One headcut has been stabilized and there is a check dam in the main channel in the upper section that is acting as a grade control. A portion of the meadow is irrigated, supporting more wet meadow vegetation than would otherwise be expected given the channel incision. Although evidence of beaver was observed, the landowner noted that he has actively removed beaver from the property. Pleasant Valley is within the average dispersal area for WFC and is within the historic range for LCT. Although the landowner allowed American Rivers to include the meadow in our assessment, the Carson meadows work group has indicated that he is not interested in pursuing restoration at this time.

PLEASANT VALLEY: CLOCKWISE – 5 FOOT BANK, 6 FOOT HEADCUT, 2 FOOT HEADCUT, DITCH, HIGH BANK AND UPLAND MEADOW VEGETATION

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Lower Fish Valley Lower Fish Valley is located on Silver King Creek approximately six miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The stream channel is wide with some incision through the meadow. Willow is abundant in the upper and lower sections with sage encroachment up to the stream channel in the middle section. Lower Fish Valley is located within the historic range of PCT and directly downstream of the only current self-sustaining population of PCT in the Carson Watershed. It is separated from this reach by Llewellyn Falls, which acts as a barrier to non-native fish. Lower Fish Valley is within the reaches that are currently undergoing non-native trout removal in an effort to establish a self-sustaining PCT population throughout their native range (Figure 4). USFWS and CDFW staff have indicated that although PCT have not been officially translocated below Llewellyn Falls, they have likely moved into this habitat on their own and occur at low densities down to Silver King Canyon. The meadows along Silver King Creek (Lower and Upper Fish Valley and Long Valley) are part of the Silver King grazing allotment that was permanently closed to grazing in 1985. Agency staff indicate that the meadows appear to be slowly recovering on their own since the grazing ceased.

LOWER FISH VALLEY: CLOCKWISE – REPRESENTATIVE CHANNEL, MEADOW VEGETATION, SAGEBRUSH AND WILLOW

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Lower Red Lake Creek Meadow Lower Red Lake Creek Meadow is a 230-acre meadow located on Red Lake Creek approximately 0.5 miles upstream of its confluence with the West Fork Carson River in Hope Valley. It is accessible via Highway 88. The main axis of the meadow is along Red Lake Creek, which flows from south to north. An unnamed tributary flows west to east downslope from Highway 88 to meet Red Lake Creek mid- meadow, creating an additional east-west meadow segment. The portion of the meadow extending downslope from Highway 88 is saturated, with low bank heights and wet meadow vegetation. The larger portion of the meadow along Red Lake Creek is a mosaic of wet meadow and upland vegetation and bank heights, which range up to four feet near the confluence with the unnamed tributary. There is one two foot headcut on the main channel and two others that appear stable in the western meadow area. It is within the dispersal area for WFC and the historic range for LCT.

LOWER RED LAKE CREEK: CLOCKWISE – HIGH BANK HEIGHT, MEADOW VEGETATION, LOOKING EAST TO WEST AT UNNAMED TRIBUTARY, LOW BANK HEIGHT, HEADCUT

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Dumonts Meadow Although delineated by UC Davis as one large (390-acre) meadow, Dumont’s Meadow is actually a series of smaller discontinuous meadow areas with forested riparian corridor in between. This meadow system is located on the main steam East Fork Carson River approximately seven miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. In meadow areas, the streambanks are unstable and incised in places. Conifers encroach up to the channel in places. Dumonts Meadow is within the historic range for LCT. It is located within the Dumonts grazing allotment and has seasonal sheep runs.

DUMONTS MEADOW: CLOCKWISE – BANK INSTABILITY AND CONIFER ENCROACHMENT, UPPER MEADOW SEGMENT, LOWER MEADOW SEGMENT

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Lower East Fork Carson Meadow Lower East Fork Carson Meadow is located on the main steam East Fork Carson River approximately six miles into the wilderness. The channel is wide with unstable banks. There is some incision and inset floodplain in places. Both conifer and sagebrush are encroaching into the meadow, with conifers occurring along the stream channel. The meadow surface is a mixture of upland and wet meadow vegetation. Lower East Fork Carson Meadow is within the historic range for LCT. It is located within the Dumonts grazing allotment and has seasonal sheep runs.

LOWER EAST FORK CARSON MEADOW: CLOCKWISE – STREAM CHANNEL, INSET FLOODPLAIN, MIXED MEADOW VEGETATION, VIEW ACROSS MEADOW, BAREGROUND AND SAGEBRUSH

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Horsethief Canyon Meadow Horsethief Canyon Meadow is a high gradient meadow located in the headwaters of a small unnamed tributary of the West Fork Carson, just downstream of Hope Valley. It is located approximately 6 miles from Highway 89 on gated USFS Route 025. The delineated meadow area is actually composed of three smaller meadow segments with riparian stringers between them. The channel through the meadow areas is very small, but still had flow when the team visited the site in October. A series of seeps and springs flow from the edges of the meadow on either side down to meet the channel, creating areas of high gradient wet meadow. At the top of the meadow there are a series of three 1-2 foot high headcuts on the main channel. The channel occurs at a lowered base level (10 feet) relative to what might be historic meadow surface. This could also be an artifact of the steepness of the channel in this reach. The USFS plans to revisit this site for further assessment. Horsethief Canyon is located within the average dispersal area for WFC and CDFW indicated it is a potential reach for LCT recovery.

HORSETHIEF CANYON: CLOCKWISE – HEADCUT IN UPPER MEADOW, UPSTREAM REACH, LOWER MEADOW SEGMENT, STREAM CHANNEL IN LOWER SEGMENT, POTENTIAL INCISION IN UPPER SECTION

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Upper Fish Valley Upper Fish Valley is located on Silver King Creek, upstream of Llewellyn Falls and supports the only self-sustaining population of PCT in the Carson watershed. It is located approximately six miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. Banks are generally stable and low height, with some inset floodplain. There is a remnant channel in the upper western portion of the meadow that may carry flow during certain time of the year. Wet meadow vegetation is restricted to narrow areas around the two channels in the upper meadow, with sage occurring up to the stream channel in places. There is one two-foot unstable headcut and one heacut that has been stabilized mid-meadow. The meadow was closed to grazing in 1985.

UPPER FISH VALLEY: CLOCKWISE – STREAM CHANNEL IN LOWER MEADOW, LOWER MEADOW SEGMENT, UNSTABLE HEADCUT, STABILIZED HEADCUT, INSET FLOODPLAIN

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Coyote Valley Coyote Valley is located on Coyote Valley Creek, a small tributary to Silver King Creek. It is located approximately 3 miles into the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The creek flows through a forested riparian corridor mid-meadow, separating the upper and lower meadow areas. The channel is small with low, stable banks throughout the meadow. There is some sagebrush encroachment and one stable headcut mid-meadow. The meadow was closed to grazing in 1985. Coyote Creek is included in the reaches CDFW is in the process of restoring for PCT. PCT likely occur in low densities in Coyote Valley. USFS have also documented a population of Yosemite Toad in Coyote Valley.

COYOTE VALLEY: CLOCKWISE – COYOTE CREEK MID-MEADOW, UPPER MEADOW, STABLE HEADCUT MID-MEADOW, MID-MEADOW, COYOTE CREEK UPPER MEADOW

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Long Valley Long Valley is located on Silver King Creek downstream of Lower Fish Valley in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The upper portion of the meadow is higher gradient and the lower portion is lower gradient. Banks appear to have been unstable in the recent past, but are currently mostly stable. Sagebrush occurs up to the channel in many places. There is one small headcut (1.5 feet) on a side channel in the upper meadow. Similar to the other meadows along Silver King Creek, the meadow was closed to grazing in 1985 and Long Valley is included in the reaches CDFW is in the process of restoring through non-native fish removal for PCT. PCT likely occur in low densities in Long Valley.

LONG VALLEY: CLOCKWISE – SAGEBRUSH AT EDGE OF CHANNEL, SAGEBRUSH IN MID-MEADOW, UPPER MEADOW, UNSTABLE HEADCUT

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English Meadow English Meadow is located on an unnamed drainage tributary to Silver Creek in the East Carson Watershed. The meadow is difficult to access, as it is located 0.5 miles up a steep slope from Highway 4 with no trail. It is a high gradient, dry meadow with a mostly undefined trail. There is some sage encroachment and some willow. There two midsized, fairly stable headcuts located on a side channel that joins the main channel in the lower meadow. It is within the average dispersal area for WFC.

ENGLISH MEADOW: CLOCKWISE – SMALL STABLE HEADCUT, LARGER STABLE HEADCUT, BOTTOM OF MEADOW, LOOKING DOWNSTREAM

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Poison Flat East Poison Flat East is located on an unnamed tributary that flows east to Silver King Creek below Long Valley. It is located in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. The stream channel is small and somewhat undefined through portions of the meadow. There are two active headcuts and one stabilized headcut. Both headcuts are fairly small. One occurs at the lower end of the main channel and has potential for migration, although the head repair is just upstream. There is some sage encroachment. Although the channel is small and flow is likely intermittent, the unnamed tributary through Poison Flat East is connected to the reach of Silver King Creek undergoing restoration for PCT and could constitute PCT habitat during the wet months of the year. It is located in the Dumonts allotment that has not been closed to grazing.

POISON FLAT EAST: CLOCKWISE - HEADCUT IN UPPER MEADOW, STABILIZED HEADCUT IN LOWER MEADOW, UNSTABLE HEADCUT IN LOWER MEADOW, CHANNEL MID-MEADOW.

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Poison Flat West Poison Flat West is a 15-acre meadow located on an unnamed tributary that flows west into the main steam East Fork Carson at Dumonts Meadow. It is in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness. According to USFWS this tributary is occupied by a population of LCT, although the channel through the meadow is very small. The reach is separated from the East Fork Carson by a very steep ravine. There is some sagebrush encroachment. It is located in the Dumonts allotment that has not been closed to grazing.

POISON FLAT WEST: CLOCKWISE – LOOKING DOWN STREAM SHOWING SAGEBRUSH, STREAMCHANNEL, LOOKING UPSTREAM

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Middle Willow Creek Meadow Middle Willow Creek Meadow is a 35-acre meadow located on a small tributary to Willow Creek, which flows into the West Fork Carson River in Hope Valley. It is located on CDFW land. The meadow is high gradient, especially in the upper and lower sections with a flatter section mid-meadow. The channel is small and becomes braided mid-meadow. There is a small extent of incision two small headcuts at the very lower end of the meadow. Both have the potential to migrate upstream, eroding into intact meadow. Members of the Carson meadows work group plan to revisit this site for further assessment. Middle Willow Creek is located within the average dispersal area for WFC and CDFW indicated it is a potential reach for LCT recovery.

POISON FLAT WEST: CLOCKWISE – LOOKING DOWN STREAM SHOWING SAGEBRUSH, STREAMCHANNEL, LOOKING UPSTREAM

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REFERENCES American Rivers. 2012. “Evaluating and Prioritizing Meadow Restoration in the Sierra.” http://www.americanrivers.org/assets/pdfs/meadow-restoraton/evaluating-and-prioritizing- meadow-restoration-in-the-sierra.pdf?422fcb. Barbour, M.T., J. Gerritsen, BD Snyder, and JB Stribling. 1999. “Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Wadeable Rivers.” USEPA, Washington. Coffin, Patrick D., and William F. Cowan. 1995. Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus Clarki Henshawi) Recovery Plan. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1. Fryjoff-Hung, A., and J. Viers. 2012. “Sierra Nevada Multi-Source Meadow Polygons Compilation (v 1.0).” Center for Watershed Sciences, UC Davis. Loffland, Helen, Rodney Siegel, Ryan Burnett, Brent Campos, Chris Sterner, and Tina Marks. 2014. “Assessing Willow Flycatcher Population Size and Distribution to Inform Meadow Restoration in the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascades.” The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California. https://www.birdpop.org/docs/pubs/Loffland_et_al_2014_Assessing_WIFL_Population_Size_ and_Distribution_to_Inform_Meadow_Restoration.pdf. NFWF. 2010. “Business Plan: Sierra Nevada Meadow Restoration.” National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. http://www.nfwf.org/Content/ContentFolders/NationalFishandWildlifeFoundation/GrantProgr ams/Keystones/WildlifeandHabitat/Sierra_Meadow_Restoration_business_plan.pdf. Riparian Habitat Joint Venture. 2004. Version 2.0. The Riparian Bird Conservation Plan: A Strategy for Reversing the Decline of Riparian Associated Birds in California. California Partners in Flight. US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2004. “Revised Recovery Plan for the Paiute Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus Clarki Seleniris).” US Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. U.S. Department of the Interior. 2011. Riparian area management: Multiple indicator monitoring (MIM) of stream channels and streamside vegetation. Technical Reference 1737-23. BLM/OC/ST 10/003+1737. Bureau of Land Management, National Operations Center, Denver, CO. 155 pp. U.S. Department of the Interior-BLM, USDA-Forest Service, and USDA-NRCS. 1998. “A User Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Supporting Science for Lotic Areas" Tech. Rep. 1737.

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APPENDIX 1: ALL MEADOW SCORES Water- Wilder- Bank Bank Vegetation Bare Encroach- Number of Meadow Name shed ness Height Gullies Stability Cover Ground ment Headcuts Falls Meadow East Yes 1 2 1 4 2 3 1 Pleasant Valley East No 1 2 2 4 4 3 4 Highway 88 West Meadow West No 1 3 3 4 2 2 4 Wet Meadows Reservoir Meadow East No 1 3 2 4 4 3 8 Faith Valley West No 2 3 2 4 3 3 2 Lower Fish Valley East Yes 2 4 3 3 4 1 Clear Creek Meadow Main No 2 3 3 4 3 3 9 Forestdale Meadow West Half 2 3 3 4 3 4 4 Grover Hot Springs Meadow East No 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 Lower Red Lake Creek Meadow West No 2 4 3 4 4 3 3 Dumonts Meadow East Yes 3 4 2 3 4 1 Lower East Fork Carson Meadow East Yes 3 4 2 4 3 1 Horsethief Canyon Meadow West No 3 4 4 4 2 3 3 Upper Fish Valley East Yes 3 3 4 3 4 1 2 Coyote Valley Meadow East Yes 3 4 4 3 4 2 1 Long Valley Meadow East Yes 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 English Meadow East No 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 Poison Flat East East Yes 4 3 4 4 4 1 2 Poison Flat West East Yes 4 4 4 3 4 2 Middle Willow Creek Meadow West No 4 4 4 4 4 3 2 Upper Red Lake Creek Meadow West No 3 3 3 4 4 3 1 Highway 88 South Meadow West No 3 3 4 4 4 3 1 Bacon Ranch East East No 3 3 4 4 3 4 Hot Springs Creek Meadow East No 4 4 4 3 4 4 2 Red Lake Meadow West No 4 3 4 4 4 3 1 Silver Creek Meadow East No 4 4 3 4 4 4 Highway 88 North Meadow West No 4 4 4 4 3 3 Lost Lakes Meadow* West No 4 4 4 3 CONDITION DATA FOR ALL MEADOWS. ASTERISK DENOTES PARTIAL REMOTE ACCESSMENT DUE TO RESTRICTED ACCESS. FOR ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS AT EACH MEADOW (E.G., PRESENCE OF BEAVER, WILLOW COVER, ASPEN, ETC.) SEE HTTP://MEADOWS.UCDAVIS.EDU/

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