Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve: Habitat Restoration

The California Deer Association, in partnership with the California Department of Fish

Click to enlarge aerial photo

and Game, has been awarded a grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board to repair hydrologic function and provide riparian and upland habitat diversity to the Cañada de los Osos Ecological Reserve.

Upon the purchase of the ecological reserve by the Department of Fish and Game, CDA entered into an agreement to assist the DFG in the management and maintenance of the reserve, as well as provide an outdoor education program for local schools. The project site located on the CAÑADA de los Osos Ecological Reserve offers good potential for the development of a diversity of riparian habitat and native grass uplands through the combined use of local school groups, volunteer efforts and professional contractors. This plan focuses on restoring approximately 2,500 feet of the upper CAÑADA de los Osos Creek, as well as perennial native grass upland to an adjacent 45-acre field, formerly used for agricultural production and grazing.

Site Specific Tasks:

1. In order to restore the riparian and upland habitats to the project site the following activities are planned.
2. Excavate the banks of CAÑADA de los Osos Creek to a minimum of a 2:1 slope to prevent erosion and sloughing of stream banks and provide a suitable area for riparian plantings with a native grass under story.
3. Use excavated material to de-level the adjacent uplands and provide a diversity of topography
4. Conduct at least one to two years of weed control to the entire site through a combination of intensive mowing, disking, spraying and/or controlled burning, to deplete existing weed seed bank.
5. CDA will coordinate local school groups and volunteers in planting 45,000 native grass plugs (creeping wild rye) and 385 native shrubs and trees (mixture of Fremont's cottonwood, Gooding's willow, California bay, California wild rose, coyote bush, toyon, California buckeye, valley oak, and coastal live oak).
6. CDA will coordinate local school groups and volunteers in installing 5 willow root wad structures to aide in the control of bank erosion and establishment of riparian habitat.
7. Install new well and pump to provide water to riparian plantings as well as property facilities.
8. Local school groups will be used to aid in the installation of a drip system to help establish the newly planted riparian trees and shrubs.
9. Repair windmill to provide year-round off stream water for wildlife and any future managed grazing efforts.
10. Purchase and install a new vehicle bridge, where deemed appropriate, to provide year-round access to the ranch without driving through CAÑADA de los Osos Creek.
11. Use a native grass seed drill to plant the 45-acre upland area with a native perennial grass seed mix (4 .b/ac. California brome, 4/b/ac. blue wildrye, 8lb/ac. purple needlegrass) of the local Santa Clara County Arastradero ecotype.
12. Conduct ongoing native grass maintenance and weed control, as needed, through the use of mowing, spraying, managed grazing and/or controlled burning.

The habitat restoration will be constructed in accordance with the design plans and specifications included in the WCB grant request. The specific location of the riparian plantings, root wads, well site and vehicle bridge will be determined during the construction phase of the project.

Cost-Share, Timeline, and Permits

Restoration activities shall be initiated in the spring of 2008 and be completed by the spring of 2010. All final design work will be approved by DFG prior to initiation of the construction. DFG shall be responsible for obtaining all necessary local, state, and federal permits as may be required to complete the restoration and conduct the management practices prescribed by this plan, including water quality certifications, grading ordinances, prescribed burning, and other required permits.

Riparian Habitat

Approximately 385 Gooding's willows, Fremont's cottonwoods, California wild rose, coyote bush, toyon, California buckeye, valley oak, coastal live oak and California bays will be planted on the slopes of CAÑADA de los Osos Creek and adjacent uplands during the winter and spring of 2008 and 2009. Installation and use of the pump and drip irrigation system for the first two to three years after planting will help to ensure the establishment of these plantings. Depending on planting placement and seasonal rainfall additional irrigations may be needed to ensure the establishment of some plantings.

Upland Habitat

Approximately 45 acres of previously developed agriculture/grazing lands will be restored to perennial native grasslands. Pre-planting weed control through the combined use of mowing, disking, spraying, managed grazing and/or controlled burning will be conducted as needed during the summer, fall, winter of 2008 and native grasses during the late fall 2009 and weed control through mowing, spraying, grazing or controlled burning may occur, on an as-needed basis, during the winter of 2010 and beyond.