Time has flown by! After 10 weeks, Phase 1 of our Tocaloma Restoration Project is complete—that is for the earthmoving, hauling, and wood installation. Now the revegetation and monitoring begins, with Phase 2 scheduled for August 2019.
SPAWN is restoring a one-mile-long stretch of river habitat within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California. It’s our most ambitious habitat restoration project to ensure Coho salmon remain part of our ecosystem forgenerations to come. The project has involved removing numerous abandoned structures and creating side channels to create refuge habitat for juvenile salmon and trout.
In total, we’ve removed 11,920 cubic yards of fill, concrete, asphalt, and other debris from the floodplain; installed several large woody debris structures and numerous living willow habitats; installed 150 feet of California freshwater shrimp habitat structures; and put over 200 pounds of seeds over our newly-graded slopes.
We are preparing to implement Phase 2 of the Lagunitas Creek Floodplain and Riparian Restoration project starting in August 2019. This second phase is located at the former community of Jewel, about one mile east of Phase 1. Similar in scope to the Tocaloma site, Jewel is a slightly smaller but includes many of the same elements and habitat features including large woody debris installation, side channel creation, and freshwater shrimp habitat structures.
At the Tocaloma site, we opened up a previously groundwater-fed side channel to receive water from the main channel, and the water is beginning to clear. After the rains start, this side channel will become a fish haven, providing shelter along the banks and within the channel, and offering a buggy buffet for young salmonids. We’ll be eagerly watching the sediment settle, with updates to come!
