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Location:
Clarks Creek Watershed Sections 30, 31 and 32 of Township 28 North,
Range 13 East and Sections 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 15, 21, 22, 27 and 28 in
Township 27 North, Range 13 East, Mount Diablo
Meridian.
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Sponsors:
Beckwourth Ranger District |
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Project Type:
Restoration |
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Est. Cost:
$233,500 Amount Funded: $84,500 Majority Funding
Approved May 2005 |
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Est. Start
Date:
7/15/05
Est. End Date: 10/01/09 |
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Project
Description:
Restore the functioning condition of aspen stands within the Clarks
Creek watershed, a tributary to a Last Chance Creek and then to the
North Fork of the Feather River.
This project focuses on the release and regeneration of aspen
communities from conifer suppression and encroachment. Conifers to
be removed are within the existing aspen stand and include those
trees actively suppressing aspen community productivity and function
on 150 acres of land. Coniferous trees bordering aspen stands will
also be removed to encourage the extension of the aspen community
and improve the health of the existing stand.
Timber removal activities will be
accomplished through a combination of mechanical and manual thinning
methods. Measures to protect stream channels and riparian zones will
be incorporated. An additional focus of this project is to protect
sprouts from excessive browsing. To limit extensive browsing of
sprouts, Beckwourth specialists and the allotment permittee will
design and implement strategic grazing plans. Under these adaptive
plans, existing levels of grazing within the project area could
continue; however, season or duration of use may be altered. When
season or duration of use is inflexible, where intensive use has
been previously documented, or where retaining any induced sprouting
is absolutely critical, temporary exclusion fencing would be
constructed. Traditional fencing (such as wire, or log fence) would
be utilized when essential protection is required; nontraditional
fencing (strategic jackstraw barriers or guardian log placement)
would be used when traditional
fence construction is impractical or when high maintenance cost is
anticipated. |
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Project Goals/Objectives:
Late spring and summer base flows will be
augmented by the removal of encroaching conifer trees in aspen
stands.
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Water quality will be improved through the
reduction of sedimentation. This will result from enhanced
vegetative cover, increased soil protection as well as increased
sediment filtering by promoting more dense vegetation
communities adjacent to stream channels and on stream banks.
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Upland vegetation communities will be enhanced by
restoring aspen communities, as a portion of most aspen stands
typically extends into upland areas (indeed, some stands within
the proposed project are strictly upland stands). The associated
beneficial effects of aspen clones on their environment will
rejuvenate and restore understory plant communities.
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Slowing storm runoff and providing greater on
site infiltration will achieve improved groundwater retention
within Clarks Creek Watershed. Again, the driving mechanism is
from increased vegetative cover, as well as increased soil
organic material, which enhance soil water storage.
Additionally, removing conifers effectively reduces
precipitation interception and evaporation from foliage, and
also results in augmented snowpack.
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Project
Activities:
July 2005 – December 2005:
Archeological surveys conducted.
April 2006 – June 2006:
Prepared contract for Northern Goshawk survey
July
2006 – September 2006:
Archeology, fish and amphibian surveys completed; first Northern
Goshawk survey completed; begin conducting rare plant surveys.
Expenditures through September 30, 2006: $13,287.39 |
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