CARMEL RIVER WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP MANUAL A User’s Guide for Landowners and Residents Resource Conservation District of Monterey County & members of the Carmel River Task Force January 2013 CARMEL RIVER WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP MANUAL A User’s Guide for Landowners and Residents This manual is built upon the work of Yolo County Resource Conservation District and the Capay Valley Conservation and Restoration Manual CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3 The Watershed Carmel River Watershed .................................................................................................. 5 Carmel River Watershed Map ........................................................................................ 11 Watershed Processes .......................................................................................................12 Watershed Stewardship Practices ...............................................................................16 Practices for Your Home ...............................................................................................18 Residential Property and Landscape Management ..............................................18 Gutters and Downspouts ......................................................................................19 Rain Water Catchment Systems ..........................................................................21 Water-Wise Landscaping ..................................................................................... 23 Rain Gardens ......................................................................................................... 25 Permeable & Pervious Hardscapes ...................................................................... 27 Garden Swales .................................................................................................................29 Home Composting ......................................................................................................... 32 Practices for Your Property ...........................................................................................33 Fire Management .................................................................................................... 34 Fire Protection for Your Home ............................................................................35 Brush Pile Reduction .............................................................................................37 Equestrian and Livestock Management ............................................................. 39 Horse Manure Management ............................................................................... 41 Tracking Pasture Health ...................................................................................... 43 Matching Stocking Rate to Carrying Capacity ................................................... 47 Swinging Flood Gate on a Fence .........................................................................49 Wildlife-friendly Range Fence ..............................................................................51 Stock Pond Habitat Enhancement ............................................................................. 53 Practices for Large Acreages and the Watershed .......................................................57 Vegetation Management ....................................................................................... 58 CARMEL RIVER WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP MANUAL 1 CONTENTS, CONTINUED Hedgerows ............................................................................................................ 59 Vegetated Filter Strips ......................................................................................... 63 Riparian Buffers .................................................................................................... 65 Native Perennial Grass Establishment ......................................................................67 Cover Crops ...........................................................................................................69 Invasive Weed Control ...................................................................................................71 Prescribed Burns ....................................................................................................73 Drainage/Erosion Management and Bank Stabilization ..................................75 Rural Road Management ..................................................................................... 77 Erosion Control Blankets ..................................................................................... 79 Mulching ................................................................................................................81 Straw Wattles ....................................................................................................... 83 Willow Wattles ..................................................................................................... 85 Live Staking and Pole Planting ............................................................................ 87 Brush Layering ......................................................................................................89 Brush Mattress.......................................................................................................91 Gully Repair ........................................................................................................... 93 Headcut Repair ...............................................................................................................95 Management Resources Native Plant List for the Carmel Valley ...................................................................... 97 Invasive Weed Control in Monterey County .............................................................101 Plant Materials Sources ...............................................................................................105 Vendors & Suppliers .................................................................................................... 106 Cost-Share Programs ................................................................................................... 107 Permits and Regulations ..............................................................................................110 Twelve Practical Tips for Getting Your Project Approved .........................................113 List of Carmel River Watershed Stakeholders ...........................................................114 Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 120 References .....................................................................................................................126 Images and Sources ......................................................................................................129 2 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Purpose Of this Manual Do you find yourself constantly battling unwanted weeds on your land? Are you challenged by trying to match your animals’ needs with the capacity of your property? Don’t know what to do about that gully that just gets larger every year? The Carmel River Watershed Stewardship Manual provides potential solutions to these and many other resource concerns in Carmel Valley. This manual was developed with input from resource management professionals, local stakeholders, community groups, organizations, and agencies. Its purpose is to provide techniques to support solutions for many of the resource issues (e.g. erosion, groundwater overdraft, invasive plants) experienced in the Carmel Valley. Techniques range from roof runoff management to rural road erosion control to wildlife- friendly pond and pasture management. In the manual, techniques are referred to as ‘practices’ Think of each practice as a tool in a land stewardship toolbox. Remember that it is critical to know what you are doing and why you are doing it before using a given tool, and that the necessary first step in treating a resource concern is distinguishing the symptom (e.g. an eroding streambank, gully, or a field of thistle) from the source of the symptom (i.e. the problem) to enable you to develop an appropriate plan that addresses the problem fully to insure the symptom(s) won’t recur. Where possible, it’s a good idea to seek professional guidance in this process to ensure that 1) you choose the correct “tool” or “tools” to best fix the problem, and 2) you implement your chosen tool(s) for maximum effectiveness. A number of resource professionals are available for free, confidential on-site consultation in the region, and in some cases, rebates or cost-share assistance is available to reduce the cost of implementation. These resources are listed below, at the back of the manual, and in context with each practice. We’ve designed this manual to be easy to use, update, and share. In most cases, the essential techniques for each practice have been condensed and refined to fit on one page, front and back. The information contained on the practice pages is intended to be succinct, yet informative enough to enable you to ascertain the relevance and feasibility of the practice for your situation, Each practice sheet provides references with more detailed information for planning and implementation. Professional resources include: the Resource Conservation District of Monterey County