February 2008 Watershed Highlight of the Month

Feather River Coordinated Resource Management Group for their Red Clover/McReynolds Creek Restoration Project

During the summer and fall of 2006, the Feather River Coordinated Resource Management (FRCRM) group constructed the Red Clover/McReynolds Creek Restoration Project, restoring 4.2 miles of stream channel and 375 acres of meadow floodplain on predominately private land of the Goodwin Ranch, with some USFS-administered lands. The project area is a continuation of the first restoration project constructed by FRCRM in 1985. The CalFed Watershed Program, with Proposition 13 bond funding, funded the restoration project in 2004 to address two restoration components: restoring channel/floodplain connection and grazing management. To restore channel/floodplain connection, FRCRM designed and constructed 64 ponded water areas (of either excavated or abandoned gully segments), 58 plugs across the gullies from the excavated materials, and 2 rock grade control structures. Three years of grazing deferment in the riparian area is included in the prescribed grazing management plan developed by FRCRM in coordination with the landowner, USFS, and the NRCS. Fencing and off-site water improvements were made possible by cost-shared funding between the NRCS and landowner. Post-project construction monitoring in 2007 showed an increase in vegetation production and diversity, an increase in bird population and breeding waterfowl, and decreased water temperature flowing out of the project. Additional benefits of increased summer base flows and decreased magnitude of floods will evolve as the project matures. More project information and reports can be found on FRCRM’s website: www.feather-river-crm.org.