Volume 15, No. 2, Fall 2004 We envision Putah Creek as a thriving corridor of native riparian and aquatic ecosystems connecting the Coast Ranges to the Sacramento River and the Delta. We envision a Putah Creek watershed community of people who value their creek and are committed to its stewardship. Updates Around the Creek Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee: Grants and Dams Rich Marovich CALFED Grant On April 6, the State Water Resources Control Board announced an award to the LPCCC of $992,236 from the Prop 50 CALFED Watershed Program to continue the PCC Adopt-A-Reach Project (volun- teer activism), continue the Putah Creek Above: The Spring Cleanup gathered Discovery Corridor Project (public edu- this recliner, among other things. cation opportunities on public lands), de- Right: Tom Cahill speaks to a good velop bioindicators of restoration success crowd during the June field trip. (UC Davis studies), update the PCC guide to Putah Creek, and update the Watershed Putah Creek Council: Restoration, Cleanup, and Education Management Action Plan. Dawn Lindstrom Putah Creek Council Website Coast and Creek Cleanup for the past 6 Wildlife Conservation Board Gets a Facelift! years and has been the lead organization Grant If you have not had the opportunity to for Yolo County for the past two years. On August 12, the WCB approved $1,207 take a look at the redesigned Putah Creek On September 18, 2004, volunteers along million for implementation projects in the Council website, you will be surprised at Putah Creek went to sites at Yolo Housing Lower Putah Creek Watershed, including the wealth of knowledge you will find. Authority, Winters Nature Park, and Lake the following: The new website was developed by Chuck Solano Park to scour the Creek for trash. • Restore natural stream dimensions and Lundgren, of Iris Software out of Chico, From these locations, volunteers split into augment spawning gravel for salmon. as part of a Sacramento River Watershed work teams and went to a total of five sites • Stabilize the south bank of Putah Creek at Program website grant to the Putah Creek along Putah Creek. They removed 2500 the Dry Creek Confluence. Council. On the new website you’ll find an pounds of trash and 1100 pounds of recy- • Control invasive weeds throughout the overview of Putah Creek and the PCC, our clables. The Putah Creek Cleanup was a channel. mission statement, information on how to partnership between Putah Creek Council, Cal/EPA Integrated Waste Man- become a member, and back issues of PC Winters Putah Creek Committee, Lower agement Board Farm and Ranch Putah Creek Coordinating Committee, News. The website also includes featured Cleanup Program stories, a calendar—including upcoming Yolo County, City of Winters, Lake Solano This program has funded the removal of projects on Putah Creek—and the most re- Park, and the Yolo Housing Authority. seven cars and over 1,000 tons of waste cent Putah Creek news items. Take a look at A Watershed Fair at Lake Solano followed concrete from Putah Creek, on the south- www.putahcreekcouncil.org. the cleanup, with a barbecue, band, and wa- ter activities for all Yolo and Solano County ern side (Solano County). It will support 20th Annual Coast and Creek cleanup participants. The Solano Resource the first project to infill riparian vegeta- Cleanup Conservation District and Community Al- tion along the top of the bank to deter fu- The Putah Creek Council has participated liance with Family Farmers sponsored the ture dumping. Unlike fences that are eas- in the California Coastal Commission’s fair. ily defeated, riparian vegetation provides See PCC Update, p. 2 See LPCCC Update, p. 2 2 Fall 2004 Putah Creek News PCC Update, from p. 1 between Winters and Davis. Adopt-A-Flat Spring Cleanup 2004 Spring Workshops The Putah Creek Council and the UC Davis For the past 14 years the Putah Creek Two workshops were held this past spring. Riparian Reserve are beginning a new proj- Council has sponsored a spring cleanup A workshop on beaver behavior and their ect called Adopt-A-Flat. We will provide along Putah Creek. In 2004, over 3.5 tons impacts on the creek riparian ecosystem native grass seed, trays, soil, fertilizer, and of trash and 28 tires were collected at the was led by Mary Tappel. In early June, Tom instructions for volunteers who would like Putah Creek Council’s Spring Cleanup on and Ginny Cahill led an exciting field trip to raise flats of native grass plugs for winter Saturday May 17th. Fifty volunteers par- with geologists Eldridge Moores and Bob and spring restoration projects at the UCD ticipated in the three-hour long event to Matthews to the wild south side of the Pu- Riparian Reserve. The project will involve beautify Putah Creek; they removed trac- tah Creek canyon west of Winters. Eldridge a series of field days to spread the seed, tor tires, rusted oil drums, and various other Moores explained the geology of the Putah learn about raising the grass plugs, and to items. Volunteers worked from Mace Bou- Creek canyon and the rare salt water springs return and plant the grass plugs. levard toward the Yolo Bypass, clearing found there, Bob Matthews discussed land There are two initial dates set to spread away trash items along the banks of Putah stability, and Tom and Ginny showed the the grass seed in the flats and learn about Creek as well as in the creek itself. At the effects of a August 2003 wildfire on a re- raising grass plugs: Sunday, October 17 end of the day, volunteers were rewarded covering stand of native grasses. and Saturday, November 13. We will be with lunch and prizes for their hard work seeding the flats at the fire ring on the UCD and dedication to a cleaner and more beau- Oak Watering Riparian Reserve from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on tiful environment along Putah Creek. For the past two years, a group of about both dates. Volunteers only need to come 10 dedicated PCC volunteers has been wa- to one of the dates. In February and March Restoration Projects tering valley oaks at the UC Putah Creek we will schedule planting days to plant the Over the past two years, the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve in conjunction with the plugs on the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve Council has led or co-led 12 restoration Society for Conservation Biology and UC grassland restoration area. If you are inter- projects along Putah Creek. Sites included Davis. We would like to thank those vol- ested, contact Dawn Lindstrom (see below) are the Winters Putah Creek Nature Park, unteers for their dedication and hard work. so supplies can be ordered. Creekside Way property in Winters, UC Thanks to their commitment, the valley To learn more about or become in- Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, Mace Bou- oaks are taking off and were able to survive volved in any of these projects, please levard, John Vickerey’s property in Win- the harsh summer temperatures. Next oak contact Dawn Lindstrom, PCC Pro- ters, Ethel Hoskins’s property along Pleas- watering dates are Sunday, October 17, and gram Coordinator, at (530) 757-2776 or ant’s Creek, and the Stevenson Bridge area Saturday, November 13. [email protected] LPCCC Update, from p. 1 about one mile east of 505. With 125 units, have dumped large quantities of sediment a three-dimensional, self-repairing bar- it is the highest density housing on Putah and organic debris below the dam. Periodi- rier to dumping. Almost all of the ongoing Creek. The creek frontage has long been ne- cally this sediment and debris is removed dumping is associated with gaps in the ri- glected and the vegetation consists almost to maintain a clear channel for flows below parian vegetation along the top of the bank entirely of weeds, chiefly eucalyptus, tree- the dam. The study was designed to deter- near public roads. By filling in this wall of of-heaven, Himalayan blackberry, arundo, mine how the dam could be operated in a vegetation, roadside trash will remain on and a variety of thistles. The project in- way to minimize sediment and debris ac- the top of the bank where it can be more cludes cleanup of trash, removal of weeds, cumulation. However, the study found that easily removed. The plantings will also en- repair of over-widened reaches and gravel flood carrying capacity of Putah Creek be- hance the continuity of riparian cover for additions for support of salmon spawning low the dam has changed substantially since dispersal of wildlife. habitat on one-half mile of creek frontage. the dam was built. Vegetation—including Our latest application to this program pro- Boundaries of the project are being negoti- many invasive weeds—has congested the poses additional cleanup efforts: ated with neighboring landowners. A com- channel between the dam and Winters to • Removing several large culverts that re- munity liaison, Olga Garzon of UC Davis the extent that the channel can no longer main from old gravel mining operations. Public Service Research Program (Joyce convey flows that are consistent with de- • Removing a truck cab west of Winters. Gutstein) has been interviewing YHA resi- sign specifications of the dam. In a future • Cleaning up two dump sites east of 505. dents and drafting a grass roots restoration high flow event there is increased risk that • Removing the car at Stevenson Bridge. plan that will encourage YHA residents to flood flows would back up over the earthen All of these projects are administered by take a continuing interest in Putah Creek wall on the north end of the dam, causing Solano Resource Conservation District.