Swanton Pacific Ranch Management Plan Preface and Approvals This Management Plan represents a living document that is revised periodically to reflect the most current approaches and summary information. Major revisions are expected to occur every 5 years unless significant changes warrant updates in a more timely manner. Major revisions will be submitted for review and approvals at a minimum of every five years. Approvals: _____________________________________________________________________ Brian C. Dietterick, Date Director, Swanton Pacific Ranch _____________________________________ ____________________ Dave Wehner Date Dean, College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences _____________________________________________________________________ Bonnie Murphy Date Executive Director, Cal Poly Corporation _____________________________________________________________________ Larry Kelley Date Vice President for Administration and Finance i Swanton Pacific Ranch Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ II LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 1 1. SITE DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................. 4 1.1. Swanton Pacific Ranch site location ........................................................................ 4 1.2. Swanton Pacific Ranch site setting .......................................................................... 4 1.3. Valencia Creek Site Location .................................................................................. 7 1.4. Valencia Creek Site Setting .................................................................................... 7 2. GOALS FOR SWANTON PACIFIC RANCH PROPERTY .................................. 9 2.1. Donor's Vision ......................................................................................................... 9 2.2. CAGR Cal Poly College of Agriculture Vision ...................................................... 9 2.3. Swanton Pacific Ranch Vision................................................................................ 9 2.3.1. Ranch Projects’ Goals ..................................................................................... 10 2.3.2. Ranch Specific Goals ..................................................................................... 10 2.4. Project Action Plan ............................................................................................... 13 3. OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS ............................................................. 14 3.1. Opportunities......................................................................................................... 14 3.2. Constraints ............................................................................................................ 15 4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND .............................................................................. 19 4.1. Regional History ................................................................................................... 19 4.1.1. Native Americans........................................................................................... 19 4.1.2. Mexican Land Grants ..................................................................................... 20 4.1.3. Early settlements ............................................................................................ 20 4.2. Swanton Pacific History ....................................................................................... 22 4.2.1. Structures ....................................................................................................... 23 4.2.2. Land Uses....................................................................................................... 24 4.3. Valencia Creek Property History .......................................................................... 25 4.4. Al Smith’s Life ..................................................................................................... 25 4.5. Early Cal Poly Involvement at Swanton ............................................................... 26 4. ARCHAEOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 27 4.1. Swanton Pacific Ranch .......................................................................................... 27 4.2. Valencia Creek ....................................................................................................... 28 5. GEOPHYSIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 29 ii Swanton Pacific Ranch Management Plan 5.1. Climate .................................................................................................................. 29 5.2 Geology ................................................................................................................... 29 5.2.1. Landslides ....................................................................................................... 29 5.3. Topography ........................................................................................................... 31 5.4. Hydrology ............................................................................................................. 31 5.4.1. Water Quality Monitoring............................................................................... 33 5.5. Soils....................................................................................................................... 37 5.5.1. Swanton Pacific Ranch soils ........................................................................... 37 5.5.2. Valencia Creek Soils ....................................................................................... 38 7. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ................................................................................. 39 7.1. Educational Philosophy ........................................................................................ 40 7.2. Educational Involvement at Swanton ................................................................... 40 7.2.1. Intra-College Cooperative Participation ........................................................ 40 7.2.2. Outside Educational Involvement at Swanton ............................................... 41 7.3 Applied Research Activities ................................................................................... 42 7.3.1. Past Research .................................................................................................. 42 7.3.2. Current research ............................................................................................. 42 7.3.3. Potential Ranch Applied Research Projects .................................................... 44 7.4. Existing Educational Program .............................................................................. 45 7.4.1. Internship/Apprenticeship Program ............................................................... 46 7.4.2. Long-Distance Learning ................................................................................ 46 7.5. Future Educational Program ................................................................................. 46 7.5.1. Educational facilities ...................................................................................... 47 7.5.2. Honors Program .............................................................................................. 47 7.5.3. Apprenticeship program for Cal Poly students ............................................... 47 7.5.4. PhD Program in watershed management ........................................................ 47 7.5.5. Educational program for non-Cal Poly students ............................................. 47 8. NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................ 48 8.1. Natural Habitat Areas ........................................................................................... 49 8.1.1. Forestland ....................................................................................................... 50 8.1.2. Grassland........................................................................................................ 53 8.1.3. Cropland ......................................................................................................... 54 8.1.4. Aquatic areas ................................................................................................... 55 8.2. Habitat management practices .............................................................................. 58 8.2.1. Habitat monitoring ......................................................................................... 60 8.3. Habitat Restoration ............................................................................................... 61 8.3.1. Lower Queseria Restoration Project .............................................................. 62 8.3.2. Upper Queseria Project ................................................................................... 65 8.4. Watershed management ........................................................................................ 67 8.5. Native plant species .............................................................................................