East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Community Conservation Plan Annual Report 2013 April 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. vi Acronyms and Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. ES‐1 Covered Activities .................................................................................................................. ES‐2 Land Acquisition and Stay‐Ahead .......................................................................................... ES‐3 Habitat Restoration and Creation ......................................................................................... ES‐3 Coordinated Wetland Permitting .......................................................................................... ES‐4 Funding .................................................................................................................................. ES‐5 I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 East Contra Costa County HCP/NCCP Background ......................................................................... 1 Annual Report ................................................................................................................................. 2 Covered Activities and Impacts .................................................................................................. 3 Land Acquisition ......................................................................................................................... 3 Habitat Restoration and Creation .............................................................................................. 3 Preserve Management ............................................................................................................... 4 Monitoring, Research, and Adaptive Management ................................................................... 4 Stay‐Ahead Provision .................................................................................................................. 4 Changed Circumstances and Remedial Measures ..................................................................... 4 Finances ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Program Administration ............................................................................................................. 4 II. Covered Activities and Impacts ......................................................................................... 5 Covered Activities Receiving Take Coverage .................................................................................. 5 Conditions on Covered Activities .................................................................................................... 6 Impacts on Land Cover Types and Covered Plants ......................................................................... 6 III. Land Acquisition ............................................................................................................... 8 Preserve System .............................................................................................................................. 8 Acquisition Analysis Zones ......................................................................................................... 8 2013 Land Acquisitions ................................................................................................................... 9 A Note on Property Acreages ................................................................................................... 11 Pre‐Existing Conservation Easements ...................................................................................... 11 Adrienne Galvin Property ......................................................................................................... 12 Alaimo Property ........................................................................................................................ 13 East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy Page i East Contra Costa County HCP/NCCP 2013 Annual Report IV. Habitat Restoration and Creation ................................................................................... 14 Wetlands and Streams ............................................................................................................. 14 Alkali Wetlands ......................................................................................................................... 14 Mitigation and Contribution to Recovery ................................................................................ 14 Souza II Corral Vernal Pool Restoration ........................................................................................ 15 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 15 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 16 Vaquero Farms South Vernal Pool Creation Project ..................................................................... 17 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 17 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 17 Upper Hess Creek Watershed Habitat Restoration Project.......................................................... 18 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 18 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 19 Irish Canyon Riparian Restoration Project .................................................................................... 21 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 21 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 21 Lentzner Springs Wetland Restoration Project ............................................................................ 22 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 22 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 22 Souza II Wetland Restoration Project ........................................................................................... 23 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 23 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 24 Vasco Caves Souza I Pond Creation Project .................................................................................. 26 Project Overview ...................................................................................................................... 26 Performance Criteria and Monitoring ...................................................................................... 27 V. Preserve Management ....................................................................................................29 Natural Community Enhancement ........................................................................................... 29 Land Management ................................................................................................................... 31 Conceptual Ecological Models .................................................................................................. 33 VI. Monitoring, Research, and Adaptive Management ........................................................ 34 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................ 34 Directed Research .................................................................................................................... 37 Adaptive Management ............................................................................................................. 39 East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy Page ii East Contra Costa County HCP/NCCP 2013 Annual Report VII. Stay‐Ahead Provision ..................................................................................................... 40 Stay‐Ahead Provision .................................................................................................................... 40 Stay‐Ahead Assessment ........................................................................................................... 40 VIII. Changed Circumstances and Remedial Measures ..........................................................