SUMMER 2015 EASEMENT PROTECTS Side Hill Citrus Mandarin Orchard lacer County along with the Sierra Nevada part of Placer County Conservancy, Emigrant Trails Greenway Trust, agriculture and Pand Placer Land Trust acquired an agricultural help to educate our easement on the Side Hill Citrus property, a family- community about owned orchard in rural Lincoln. This 47-acre farm agriculture well into produces mandarins, Meyer lemons, limes, and the future,” said grapefruits and is located off of Mt. Vernon Road in Richard. rural Lincoln. Mandarins are a A dedication ceremony was held in January 2015 staple fruit of Placer recognizing the agricultural easement, the first private- County, and are public easement in the county. The easement ensures enjoyed November the farm will be protected from development in through February. perpetuity and will remain as an important agricultural The first resource. It also preserves a wooded riparian corridor mandarin trees were planted by said along a tributary to Doty Ravine and oak woodlands Welsh immigrants in Penryn in the 1880s. After pear Placer Land Trust on the site. blight in the mid-twentieth century destroyed the Executive Director Jeff Darlington. “It’s rare to County’s bountiful pear industry, mandarins became a see a county so actively protect the future of their Family owned and operated, Side Hill Citrus is a choice crop for area farmers. certified organic ranch originally established on 17 agricultural economy and rural quality of life. We’re acres in 1975. At the time of purchase by Richard Today, with approximately 60 local mandarin growers, really blessed to have local leaders who understand the Ferreira, a small number of diverse citrus trees already the Placer County mandarin harvest is celebrated by benefits of investing in perpetuity.” existed on the property. Since 1975 another 30 acres the annual Mountain Mandarin Festival held each Side Hill Citrus is Placer Legacy’s second agricultural has been purchased and added to the ranch, and a November and Orchard Days in December. easement. In 2010, Placer County purchased an mandarin grove of approximately 2,500 trees has been agriculture conservation easement on the 40-acre planted on 24 acres of the ranch. “Placer Land Trust is proud to work with Placer County in what is shaping up to be the premiere Natural Trading Company organic farm in Newcastle. “My family and I intend to continue to be an integral public-private conservation partnership in California,” PLACER LEGACY NEWS Summer 2015 1 WHAT’S NEW AT Hidden Falls REGIONAL PARK • Network of 30 miles of trails through • The trail system has amenities such as • Two 100-foot span bridges were incredible views of Coon Creek as well the 1,200 acre park have been kiosks, directional signs, benches, constructed over Coon Creek as part as access for emergency and service completed. two waterfall overlook decks, and of the trail network that will provide vehicles picnic areas. LOCALS TIP | If you’re going, Hidden Falls Regional Park has experienced great popularity, particularly on weekends and during holiday periods. In some cases, visitors must wait or go elsewhere if the parking area has reached capacity. Placer County Parks and Recreation is excited that Hidden Falls is such a popular place to hike and ride, but please plan your trip accordingly and considering a visit during off-peak times such as the early morning or late afternoon. Coon Creek WATERSHED ASSESSMENT oon Creek in northwestern The assessment began in fall 2014 and may bring back Placer County originates near paused for the winter rain season. The threatened CMeadow Vista and flows for assessment begins again in April 2015. Central Valley 18 miles to the Sacramento Valley. Over 20 temperature sensors have been steelhead to The creek offers multiple species place along the creek to obtain baseline its historic benefits, as well as scenic recreation temperature information. reaches in opportunities in Hidden Falls Regional the upper Park. Several rare and threatened flora Biologists found poor water clarity on Coon Creek and fauna are present in Coon Creek, the lower reaches of the stream, which watershed. including Central Valley steelhead. are not suitable for salmon spawning. The creek and the surrounding The upper reaches of the creek and riparian habitat currently face threats Doty Ravine, a tributary of Coon from development, water diversions, Creek, contain good spawning habitat fish passage impediments, and water for salmons. Two potential barriers to quality impacts. To identify restoration fish passage were identified opportunities Placer County has begun at the NID South Canal conducting a watershed assessment of Diversion and the bridge Coon Creek. and culvert at Garden Bar Road. Biologists also The Coon Creek Watershed Assessment noted the diversity of is part of the proposed Placer County the creek, with its hilly, Conservation Plan (PCCP). The canyon-like topography watershed assessment will provide and high energy flows an opportunity to inform the PCCP at the upper reaches, and conservation strategy about protection flattening out at the Valley and preservation opportunities within floor to low energy flows. the Coon Creek watershed. The outcome of the assessment could be Successful restoration efforts used to provide strategies for restoring on Coon Creek could serve lost functions in other watersheds, as an example of restoring and will enhance preservation and impaired and threatened restoration efforts in Coon Creek. watersheds throughout Western Placer County, and 2 PLACER LEGACY NEWS Summer 2015 North American COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION PROFILE GOLDEN EAGLE SARSAS Named for the gold-colored feathers on the back of their heads, North American golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are a prolific eagle species common in the Western US. Numbering in the tens of thousands across the West, there are only about 500 pairs of golden eagles in California. In Placer County, a pair of golden eagles inhabits Hidden Falls Regional Park. These birds of prey are known for the size, with ave Auburn Ravine Salmon At 6 feet high and 100 feet across, community about native salmon a wing span ranging from over 5 feet to over 7 and Steelhead (SARSAS) Hemphill Dam prevents most in local streams. They participate feet. They are known for their speed and soaring S is a non-profit group of salmon from making it over the at the annual Salmon Celebration fights, and have been clocked at speeds close to dedicated citizens that has been concrete dam. Salmon can become every October in Lincoln, and they 200 miles per hour. Golden eagles are dimorphic, working to restore Auburn Ravine injured on the dam as they thrash invite the community to volunteer and females are larger than males though their to enable Chinook salmon and against the concrete in an attempt with their Citizen Scientist plumage is similar. Golden eagles inhabit rolling Steelhead trout to return to their to pass over. Once a fish ladder or program to observe Auburn foothills, mountain areas, sage-juniper flats, historic spawning sites. Many of similar modification is made to Ravine for the presence of salmon and deserts. They prefer secluded cliffs with the streams in Placer County have the dam, the salmon will be able and steelhead during their fall, overhanging ledges and large trees used for cover, been altered to such an extent that to reach the cooler, deeper reaches winter, and spring runs. Volunteers and usually nest on cliffs or in large trees. Golden salmon and steelhead are prevented of Auburn Ravine where good and SARSAS leaders recently eagles build large 10-foot wide, 3-foot tall nests of from reaching their spawning spawning habitat awaits. spotted approximately 1,000 sticks, twigs, and other vegetation. areas, greatly impacting the long- salmon fry schooling near their term survival of these species. Fish ladders have been shown to nesting sites, which will return to Golden eagles have been observed attacking improve fish passage on Auburn Auburn Ravine in three to four calves, lambs, deer, coyotes and foxes, but prefer SARSAS has worked to remove Ravine. In 2012, a fish ladder was years after migrating to the Pacific to hunt small mammals like rabbits and mice, and fish passage barriers, and their constructed at the NID Gaging Ocean this season. also eat birds and reptiles. They hunt in pairs over latest project is focused on working Station in Lincoln. This ladder open terrain, soaring 100-300 feet above ground in with the Nevada Irrigation District has been a success, and SARSAS Previous and ongoing SARSAS search of prey. Sometimes they will perch and fly (NID) to modify Hemphill Dam volunteers have spotted salmon accomplishments provide a directly to prey or pirate food from other predators. in Lincoln to allow salmon to upstream of the gaging station and strategy to improve local streams, move upstream. Hemphill Dam is at the bottom of Hemphill Dam. allowing salmon to return to their Golden eagles are found all over the world, and one of the last barriers to salmon historic ranges and ensure good are commonly used in falconry. They are known and steelhead to upstream Auburn SARSAS engages in public stewardship of our watersheds. for their hunting prowess, and in Eurasia, native Ravine. outreach events to engage the communities have used golden eagles to hunt gray wolves. Mexico, Austria, Albania, Germany, and Kazakhstan claim the golden eagle as their national animal, making it the most common national animal in the world. The golden eagle is featured on the Albanian and Egyptian flags, and the Mexican flag shows the golden eagle with a serpent in its talon and mouth atop a cactus. In the Arab world, golden eagles symbolize power, and golden eagles were the symbol of Roman legions. In North America, golden eagles were considered sacred by many Native American cultures, including First Nation and Mesoamerican cultures.