SPAWN’s Sediment Load Reduction Project in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed targets water quality concerns in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed due to fine sediment run off from impaired roads on Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) land. Improving priority road sections to minimize the amount of fine sediment entering Lagunitas Creek following rain events will aid in juvenile salmon survival. To learn more about road construction during the project implementation, a Dirt Road Maintenance and Repair Field Workshop was held.
On Tuesday, September 17, SPAWN hosted 19 attendees for a workshop opportunity, coming from the Regional Water Quality Control Board, Resource Conservation Districts, California Department Fish & Wildlife, other nonprofit organizations, SPAWN volunteers, and ranchers. The first portion of the workshop consisted of a presentation from David Stafford and Todd Kraemer, with Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA), the designers of the project. This presentation focused on sources of erosion, erosion control measures, and road treatment techniques.
Following the presentation, the group carpooled to one of the project sites on Zanardi Ranch, where we met with our contractors with Bohan & Canelis General Engineering. This portion of the workshop allowed folks the unique opportunity to witness construction first-hand and see live examples of the road treatments used to minimize erosion from the presentation. Nick Canelis performed a live demonstration of a rolling dip, maneuvering a bulldozer across the road section, ripping the compacted soil, and pushing dirt back and forth to create rolling dip.
This workshop couldn’t have happened without the collaboration of PWA, Bohan & Canelis General Engineering, and funding for this project provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under the Federal Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program (Clean Water Act Section 319).
Couldn’t make it to this workshop and interested in learning more about SPAWN’s Sediment Load Reduction Project? Check out our website and stay tuned for another workshop and plenty of volunteer opportunities for folks throughout the winter and into the next year. Contact SPAWN’s Conservation Project Manager, Ayan Hayes, ahayes@tirn.net to learn more.
